


ETHOS

by ekomsfire



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), EXO (Band), NCT (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), SEVENTEEN (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood, Blood and Violence, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Kidnapping, M/M, Mind Control, Mind Manipulation, Multi, Rape/Non-con Elements, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:49:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 93,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26357497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekomsfire/pseuds/ekomsfire
Summary: "You are a sinner as well.""No, my sweetheart. I am the sin.""You have controlled what was never meant to be controlled in the first place and now you cannot hide it anymore. Not around me.""Sweetheart, the devil would be useless if he could not entice people to do his work.""I wanted to." Jaehyun finally managed to look at him. "You too."
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 30
Kudos: 76





	1. I

The sun was shining bright for the first time in weeks. Maybe that's what woke him up so early in the morning. Jaehyung groaned as he turned on his mattress, trying to ignore the sunlight blinding him. He tossed and turned for a long time until he finally gave up. Jae opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. The bright light always looked so beautiful in that small room of his. He had a shitty health, but whenever the sun shone he would feel immensely better. No headaches and no dizziness out of nowhere. The sunlight seemed to cure him from his diseases. His aunt never actually said what was strong with him, but it wouldn't take a doctor to know he was not an ordinary person. 

There were always moments in which he would just pass out. Whenever it got too cold or if the sun didn't show its face for long. It would always make him collapse or feel weak. It took him a long time to connect his sickness to the lack of sun. But eventually, he understood the enormous effect sunlight had on him. It was almost pathetic. He used to joke around with Hyung-sik saying how he would move to a tropical country. Live by the sea and stay under the sun for the rest of his life. It was only a stupid childhood dream, but at moments like this he truly wished that would happen. 

Jae turned to his side and found his phone lying on the ground beside the bed. He touched it lightly just to see the time. Why was he awake at 6 in the morning? The excessive heat had left a long time ago and the weather was becoming cooler. Jae was happy that he was not waking up wet from the sweat anymore, but it was hot enough for him not to wear a shirt. His white bare chest was glowing. It was weird how he could sometimes see a faint glow on his skin. How he would always have to cover up in order to not let people see it. It was not often, but whenever it happened, he would get stressed. 

People don’t react well to someone whose skin glows under the sun. It is unnatural. How could someone explain that? Jaehyun had no idea how or why that happened, it just did. His aunt once took him to a doctor because of an annoying cough he had during the winter and Jaehyun foolishly told him about the glow on his skin. After many tests, he was deemed schizophrenic and prescribed antipsychotics. That was when they moved deeper into the countryside, to the house where they were living at the moment. He felt guilty towards his aunt and sister, so from that point on, he decided he would never tell people about anything weird that happened to him.

Jaehyun tossed and turned for a while longer until he smelled something in the air. It was a weird scent, as if something was burning. That would often happen when Ji-hye tried to cook. His sister was terrible at cooking. She was the kind of person who could burn ice-cream if you let her. Jaehyun and his aunt had set the kitchen as off limits for her, but she would still try to burn the house down from time to time. Jaehyun sat on the edge of the mattress and sighed before getting up. He rolled up the mattress and put it aside in the corner of the small room. Their house was small so every space counted. He shared a bedroom with his sister, but she did not sleep much. 

Ever since they were children, Ji-hye would only sleep around 3 or 4 hours a night. She would function normally, but it was bizarre. She normally took naps during the day and at night she would do what anyone usually did during the day. She preferred the night and that's why she rarely left the house during the day. She was what people called a night owl, but it did not feel like a very accurate definition. Ji-hye was something else. She enjoyed the night far too much. She would stand in the darkness just staring into nothing almost as if she was meditating. Jaehyun had lost count of how many times he had gotten scared by his sister whenever he went to the bathroom or just to grab a glass of water. Thankfully, at some point they decided to only have plastic cups in the house. Broken glass was really annoying to clean. 

She just sat there. It was as if her body was there, but she was not. Jae wondered if she sleepwalked or something like that, but his aunt always said it was just the way she was. Jaehyun found it extremely creepy. As soon as he opened the bedroom door, the smell almost punched him in the face. It was a miracle the house was still standing. There was smoke everywhere. He coughed his way to the small kitchen while still putting on his shirt when his aunt came through the door complaining. She was a pro complainer. That woman would complain even about the oxygen she breathed. It was almost like a superpower and she was famous among the neighbors. 

"What is that foul smell? And the smoke! Are you two trying to burn down the house?" She made a sour face as she looked at Ji-hye's back. 

" _ Noona _ probably tried to make breakfast." Jaehyun tried to hide a laugh. 

"Ji-hye, are you trying to get us killed?" 

Jae and his aunt were laughing quietly, but their smile disappeared when his sister turned to face them. She had a red flush on her face and her eyes had deep black circles under them.  _ Oh. _ The two immediately fell silent. This was not a joking matter anymore. It was  _ that _ time of the year. Every year there would be a time when Ji-hye would suffer with splitting migraines and physical pain. She would pass out or fall to the ground screaming from the pain inside her head. Those memories had haunted Jae from the day he first saw it. It was painful for him to watch. He would always stay away. For some reason, he could almost feel the pain himself if he stared at his sister for a long time.

The moment he saw her face, Jaehyun took two steps back. His aunt stepped in front of him. This didn’t help him not feel the pain, but it was her being protective of him. She was a very simple woman, but her instincts were as sharp as a tiger’s. She knew when to attack and when to protect. Moments like this were the ones in which she would protect him at all costs. Sometimes Ji-hye would go completely berserk and lash out. Almost as if the pain made her insane. Jaehyun would suffer the worst blows. He once had his arm broken trying to stop his sister. He knew it was not something she controlled, but there was a sad feeling to that memory. 

"I tried to make the tea." She sighed. 

"Let me help." His aunt said in a sweet voice. 

Jaehyun took a look at his sister and bowed slightly when their eyes met. He then left the house quickly. He sighed loudly as soon as the door closed. This was going to be a long week. It was the days in which Jaehyun would not sleep, afraid something could happen to him or his aunt. It was only a week, but it was still extremely chaotic. The tea was clearly not as effective as before. After years using it, it had become weaker. It's effects were as strong as a placebo. Jaehyun remembered the last time it happened. Ji-hye left the house at some point in the night and he only found her in the morning, lying completely still in the middle of the field. She could be easily mistaken by a corpse if it wasn't for the faint movement of her chest. She had passed out, but kept mumbling some sort of nonsense. Something about darkness and shadows. It was extremely creepy. She stayed in that comatose state for three days until she finally woke up with no recollection of whatever had happened that day. Jae knew things would only get worse. 

Their house was far from everything. Since they moved further into the countryside, they became even more distant from civilization. There were only 2 other families that lived near them and a small store that sold everything they might need. From food to pencils. He was a good friend of the owner’s son, so he would normally go there to help them and spend time with him. This was a bit early but they were probably already open. It took around half an hour to reach it, so Jae just took his time getting there. There was no need to rush, not with an empty road and the sun shining on him. It felt good. 

The sun was burning into his skin, making it glow a bit brighter. Thankfully, there was no one on the road at that moment, allowing him to walk around freely with only a black t-shirt on. Moments like this were rare and special to him. Moments in which he did not really have to hide whatever he was. His aunt never actually told him much about his parents or where he came from. At some point he stopped asking. But stranger things continued to happen. She would always say that his parents were nice people that did not deserve what happened to them, but she never got into details. She simply told him they died in a car accident. Where, when or how was never answered. They were dead and that was the whole story. 

A coat would certainly be too hot on a day like that, but Jaehyun normally wore a coat everywhere. He did not leave the house much, but whenever he did, he made sure he was fully covered. He could not risk people seeing the strange glow his skin would emit. The looks, the questions… It all felt too complicated. He hated being the center of attention. He felt a bit tense that he had not taken his coat in case someone appeared out of nowhere so he just decided to walk a bit faster. The day began early in the countryside. People would eventually come out and he was not in the mood to become the talk of the town. After a while, he could see the corner store standing in the distance. The sight made him smile. The sun was a bit stronger now and Jaehyun's skin was glowing a bit too strongly, almost glistening. It was pretty to look at, it truly was, but a glow like that meant he had to walk faster. He walked even faster and almost threw himself inside the store when he got to the front door. 

" _ AIGOO _ , ARE YOU INSANE?" Hyung-sik's mom was startled. 

"Sorry." Jaehyun had a shy smile. 

"Oh." She walked closer. "Your skin." 

Jae looked down and tried to hide his skin with his hands. She smiled softly and walked back to the counter. After a few seconds, she came back with a fluffy pink coat and handed it to Jaehyun. He stared at it for a second, regretting not having taken his own coat. But after a second he put it on. She knew about his skin condition and what happened to it on sunny days. She had known for years and yet she had never said anything about it to anyone. She had even helped him a number of times, like this. Jaehyun smiled at her again. She was always nice to him. He always felt as if Hyung-sik was a very lucky man. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Lee." 

"Don't mention it." She smiled back. "It's a bit too strong today, isn't it?" 

"The sun." Jaehyun lowered his head, almost as if he was embarrassed. 

"Oh." She looked through the window. "It's so bright today." 

"Is Hyung-sik here?" Jaehyun looked around. 

"He's at school, JaeJae." She laughed. "He will only be back in the afternoon." 

"Oh." Jae was embarrassed. 

He did not go to school. It was not that he did not like it or did not want to go. He did. He truly did. But he couldn't. It would be complicated to hide his skin condition and the other things that happened to him and  _ noona _ . Him and his sister were always bright, they learned things very easily. His aunt had taught both of them how to read and write, but most of the things he had learned just by reading a few books. He would always borrow Hyung-sik's school books to read. He had learned about math, chemistry and even English just by reading those books so he was not really behind nor stupid. His aunt always said that he was born bright and that was why he did not need to go to school or college. He could always read the books and learn. But he still wanted to go to school one day. Just see what it was like. Just to feel normal. 

"Do you want to help me?" Mrs. Lee asked with a soft smile on her lips. 

"Oh." Jaehyun shrugged. "Sure." 

The day went by slowly, but at some point the door opened and Hyung-sik was shocked to see Jaehyun putting up boxes on one of the shelves. The look on his face was funny, so Jae just smiled at him. He loved to see his friend and Hyung-sik always had a certain look on his face that sometimes seemed as if he felt something more than just friendship. But that look disappeared as fast as it came. The only reason Jaehyun began to notice this was because one day Hyung-sik had stolen a couple of bottles of soju from his mother's store and they went into the abandoned house to drink. It was their meeting place. The abandoned house at the end of Hyung-sik's street. It had been their safe house since they were kids. 

That night Hyung-sik drank a lot and so did Jae, but for some reason he did not get as drunk as his friend. And it was then that Hyung-sik explained how he felt towards Jaehyun. 

"I feel as if sometimes I cannot see anything but you." Hyung-sik hiccuped. "Like everything is you. I just  _ want _ you. Does that make me  _ gay _ ?" 

"I'm not sure." Jaehyun was scared.

"It's more than desire, Jae." Hyung-sik was spilling his drink everywhere as he gestured. "It's like I needed you to breathe. To survive."

That day shaped their friendship. After that, Jae became very wary of whatever he said and did near Hyung-sik. Trying to not make him feel like that anymore, but it did not work for long and that was why he would get looks like this from time to time. The desire mixed with admiration look. It was something that happened often. Not only with Hyung-sik. He had seen it on the postman's face, the TV technician, the doctor. All those men had that look whenever Jae stood alone with them in the room. It was always confusing. But with Hyung-sik it had become normal. He would always look at him like that, so Jae would always mess with him. 

"In love again?" Jaehyun smiled. 

"Fuck off." Hyung-sik blinked back into reality. 

"MANNERS, LEE HYUNG-SIK!" Mrs. Lee screamed from the back of the store. 

"Sorry, mom." Hyung-sik said between gritted teeth. 

The two laughed silently and Jae stepped down from the ladder he was standing on. He came down and walked close to his friend. Hyung-sik stared at the pink fluffy coat he was wearing and arched an eyebrow. Jae noticed and laughed. He pointed at the street and the two walked towards the door. Hyung-sik stopped by the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of soda, sloppy throwing one in Jae's direction. He still managed to grab it with no problem. He always did. And he understood why Hyung-sik had been rejected by the baseball team so many times. That kid was seriously lousy at sports. 

"What's with the girly coat?" 

"It's your mother's." Jae rolled his eyes. 

"Don't you-"

"It really is your mother's." Jae sipped on the bottle. "She lent me." 

"You forgot yours?" Hyung-sik sounded shocked. "You never forget your coat. And it's fucking sunny today. Your skin..." 

Jae nodded. 

"It's that time of the year again." Jae sighed. " _ Noona _ ..."

"Oh." Hyung-sik nodded. "Well, you look good even in pink. I hate you." 

"Thought you loved me." Jae punched him lightly. "I'm sad." 

"Fuck off." Hyung-sik scoffed. "I like girls." 

"You like  _ noona _ ." Jaehyun smiled at his friend. 

"SHUT UP, JAEHYUN!" Hyung-sik was as red as a tomato. 

It was true. Hyung-sik liked his sister, a lot even. He had liked her from the day they met. The day she slapped him for saying she was beautiful. Jaehyun had never seen someone look at another person like that, much less after getting slapped like that. After that day, his friend did everything in his power to meet his sister as often as he could. It was cute. Hyung-sik always looked at her with fondness in his eyes. It was not the same way he looked at him. No. The look Hyung-sik gave Jaehyun was borderline desperate, while Ji-hye got the passionate look. It was funny how he felt jealous about that. Jaehyun trusted Hyung-sik, so he would never oppose the two of them being together. The sad part was that his sister had no interest whatsoever in his friend. She had said so a thousand times, but Hyung-sik never gave up. Jae just let him be. Let him have his feelings. It was the right thing to do. 

They stood there for a long time until their pale skin became pink from the sun. There was no one on the street so they could stay there freely for a while. But it was time for Hyung-sik to go help his mother and later he would have to do his homework. It was time Jae headed home. This was their everyday agenda. Meet, separate and then meet again. It was always the same, but they never seemed to grow tired of it. It was a good life. A simple one. 

"Let's meet at the house after dinner." Hyung-sik told him. 

"Sure." Jaehyun smiled back. 

Jae walked back to his house. The sun had set and the streets were dark, apart from the headlights from the few cars that traveled down that path. He would greet a neighbour from time to time. Jaehyun was known to be very polite, so everyone would always smile when they saw him. It made him feel good, yet it was always a bit awkward how people became so friendly out of nowhere. Still, he always smiled back. He would help other houses from time to time doing small jobs. Sowing, changing a bulb, watering their field. Small jobs that would pay little to nothing, yet it was good. He would always get some food and drinks as well. Sometimes people would give him more than he deserved and he tried to say no, but they almost begged him to accept it. They always had such a desperate look on their faces. Almost as if they would die if he said no. Jaehyun always said yes to everything, he had learned to do so. 

When he got to the house, everything was silent. The lights were on, but he could not hear a word. It felt strange. He walked up to the door and opened it calmly. As soon as he entered the house, he saw his aunt sleeping on the couch. She breathed calmly with her book lying on her chest- she had probably fallen asleep while reading. His sister was nowhere to be found. Jae walked into their bedroom and she wasn't there either. This was not good. She wasn't supposed to be alone at a time like this. Not at this time of the year. He decided to leave the house and try to find her. 

He walked out the door again and heard a faint noise coming from the other side of the house. It was probably nothing, but he should check it. To his surprise, Ji-hye was sitting on the ground staring at the distance. It was dark, so she probably couldn't see anything. Yet, she stared at it intently. She was mumbling again. Darkness. Shadows. It was all he could understand. 

" _ Noona _ ?" Jaehyun called. 

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?" 

"Fine."

"Are you in pain?" Jae was scared of the answer.

Before she could answer, he felt it. There was a hint of pain at the back of his head and if he was able to feel it, it was probably even worse for her. He felt bad, but this meant he should not step any closer. This meant that she could lash out at him if he approached. Ji-hye turned to face him and her eyes were dark, very dark. Their eyes did that when they were angry, sad or exhausted. They turned completely black with no hint of white in them. It was never good when Ji-hye had the. It meant people should stay away. 

Jaehyun took two steps back, taking the hint from his sister. She was probably just exhausted, but it was still menacing. Jin-hye was a very strong woman and he could take him down very easily. She had done so in the past. Many times. Her dark moments had started at a very young age, so he had learned to deal with it since he could remember. Her darkness was not something simple. It was something that was almost compelling to a certain extent. Something that called to you. If someone was careless at a time like this, there was no saying in what Ji-hye could do. That person would probably end up dead, that he was certain. That person might just as well be him if he ever got too close. 

"I'm sorry." Ji-hye sighed. 

"It's okay,  _ noona _ ." Jae managed to smile. "Do you need more tea?" 

"Yes." 

"Come inside, I'll cook something for you and make some more tea." 

"Thank you." She forced a smile. "I'll go inside in a minute." 

He nodded and headed back inside. 

The tea was a very smelly one. Jae hated that scent. It was sour and stinky, but it made his sister feel better. Their aunt had created the recipe a few years before to try to make the symptoms fade. When they began using it, the tea would numb every single symptom and his sister would be normal after just one cup. After a few years using it, the effect had become much weaker. At this point, it would only make the pain a little less intense. If even that, Ji-hye seemed to still be in excruciating pain. He tried to help as much as he could, but there was not much he could do. Just try to make her days less miserable with that blood like tea. It truly just looked like a cup of blood. It was extremely disgusting. 

Jaehyun set the table and put the teapot in front of his sister's usual sitting place. She had still not come back inside the house, but he was a bit wary of going back out to talk to her. His aunt was still sleeping on the couch and he did not want to wake her up, so screaming was not an option. Jae sighed and then headed back out, only to find his sister sitting in the same place. But as he walked closer, he could see a faint shadow standing beside her. She was sitting with her legs crossed and eyes closed. 

He could hear a faint whisper. It was not very audible so he could not make out the words. It sounded like some dialect, something foreign. Yet it felt familiar. Almost like he had heard it before. Had he? It was extremely eerie. It was the same mumbling as before, but this time he couldn't really understand what it was said. Almost like it was the shadow speaking. That was impossible. That shadow did not feel human. It looked as if it was there and it wasn't at the same time. Jaehyun focused and he could faintly see behind it. It was transparent. It felt even weirder. As soon as he tried to step closer in order to see what that shadow was, it disappeared and his sister opened her eyes.

"What do you want?" Ji-hye hissed. 

"I-I'm sorry." Jaehyun stepped back. "The food..."

"Fine." Ji-hye stood up with some difficulty and wobbled past Jaehyun. 

He could only stare as she made her way back into the house. He stared at the place he had seen the shadow before, afraid of getting any closer. Afraid it was something other than just a shadow. He blinked a few times and went back inside the house. As soon as the door opened, he saw his sister and his aunt sitting down and putting food on their bowls. His aunt smiled at him and tapped the space beside her so he could sit. Ji-hye was eating silently on the other side. 

"Drink some more, dear." Their aunt offered Ji-hye more tea, granting her an evil look. 

"It's not working anymore." She said dryly. 

"Does it hurt,  _ noona _ ?" Jaehyun tried to be sympathetic. 

"Yes." 

"I will try a new recipe." Their aunt put more tea in his sister's cup, the red opaque liquid filling it to the rim. "It will work better."

Ji-hye hummed before she took a sip of the tea, making a disgusted face at the taste. 

After dinner, his sister seemed a bit better. Yet she still looked exhausted. Jae stared at her, still trying to understand what he had seen earlier. Jin-hye arched a brow and stared back at him. Almost as if she knew what he was thinking. It felt like that most of the time. Jaehyun was sure he had not said a word, yet she would answer him. In that household, normal was not necessarily what that word actually meant. Things were actually far from normal. He glowed, his eyes changed color, he could learn faster than most people and there were other things that he could not really explain. His sister was even worse. She had a darkness to her that attracted very strange things. 

Some things were relatively similar, but sometimes Jaehyun felt as if she could inflict pain or sadness with just a look. He had seen it before. When kids from the nearby town would tease him, Ji-hye always showed up and made them miserable. But she never laid one finger on them. They were scared shitless by her, so at some point everyone just left them alone. It was easier when they moved further into the countryside. There was no one left to tease them. No one for his noona to make miserable. It was kind of relieving actually. Jaehyun hated to see her do that. Be like that. 

"You're probably imagining things." Ji-hye sighed. 

"Probably." Jae was sure he had not said a word, yet she knew. 

"Stop focusing on useless things, JaeJae." She forced a smile. 

"I'm sorry." 

"Don't be." She rubbed her temple. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Yes." She smiled again. "Are you going to meet Hyung-sik?"

"Oh, yes." Jae smiled. 

"Usual place?" 

"Yes." 

"Don't come back late." 

Jaehyun just nodded and began to clear the table. His aunt was sitting down on the couch again reading her book and Ji-hye excused herself and went into the bedroom. She would wake up again in a few hours. Hopefully better. Jaehyun cleaned everything and then sat by the table, picking up his phone. 

"Going to meet Hyung-sik?" His aunt asked without taking her eyes from her book. 

"Yes." Jaehyun smiled. 

"Don't come back late." 

It was funny how his sister and his aunt would always act the same and say the same things. They both acted as his mother, since her and his father had died before he could even crawl. He had no idea what they looked like and there were no pictures. Their aunt took them in when he was only a baby and raised them as if they were her own children. He loved and respected her deeply. At some point, Ji-hye had become almost a mother as well, always protecting him and making sure he ate and hid himself. People were not supposed to know about their secret, so she helped him with that. He loved both of them dearly. He could not imagine a life without either of them. 

Jaehyun texted Hyung-sik to let him know he was coming. It would take around 20 minutes to get there, so there was plenty of time for him to get ready as well. He walked calmly by the road, avoiding the few cars that were going driving by at night. It was extremely dark, but Jae was not bothered by it. He actually liked it and it was not as if he could not see the road. It was just a bit darker than when the sun was shining. He never had any trouble seeing at night and his aunt would always say that it was because he ate his vegetables. He was sure that wasn't the reason, but he had grown used to it. 

It didn't take him long to get to the abandoned house. Along the years they had almost redecorated the whole place. Jae had put a lock on the door to make sure people didn't get in so easily. They found chairs and couches abandoned along the road and put them all in their little house. They set a few lamps to make sure they had enough light inside and they even had portable heaters and a few blankets for winter time. It was the perfect little hiding spot. He was the first one to arrive so he did not bother to turn on the lights. He just sat on one of the couches and waited for Hyung-sik to arrive. It wouldn't take him long. He picked up his phone but as soon as he did, he felt a presence near him. He looked up and there it was. The shadow.

It was there- he was sure. It was not a hallucination. He knew it was the same one he had seen before. Somehow he could feel it. 

"What do you want?" Jaehyun asked.

"Come home." The shadow answered.

"Home?" He was confused. 

"Your family needs you." The shadow was adamant. 

"Who are you?" Jaehyun suddenly felt angry. 

"Who are you talking to?” Hyung-sik was walking around turning on the lights. 

Jaehyun blinked twice and the shadow was gone.

"What language was that?" Hyung-sik was still turning the lights on.

"Language?" Jae was confused again. 

"You were speaking another language." 

"I was?" Jaehyun was seriously confused at this point. 

"Nevermind." Hyung-sik sighed and set beside him on the couch. "Want a drink?" 

"We're drinking?" 

"Why not?" 

Jaehyun shrugged. There was really no problem in drinking- he never seemed to get drunk no matter how much he drank. It was funny to see Hyung-sik or his aunt get completely drunk while he just watched the show. Hyung-sik was a bit more complicated. He would get loose-lipped and talk about his sister or even about him. Confess for the millionth time, tell him he wanted him, try something. He never told him anything that had happened between them or anything he had said, but he felt bad. The only thing Jae had ever told him was when he confessed for the first time. He was scared and did not want to deal with Hyung-sik, but when he was cornered by his friend he told him the truth. Now Jae saw that as something that brought them even closer. 

They finished the first bottle and Hyung-sik was already too close. Jae was drinking as well and he felt a bit less stressed. Jaehyun had been shifting in his seat the whole night trying to avoid getting too close to his friend, but somehow that made Hyung-sik want to stand closer and say weird things. He always did that. It was a bit annoying, but he was his friend and he was drunk. It was not much of a problem. 

"Why do you always move away when I try to move closer?" Hyung-sik was having trouble keeping his eyes open. 

"Because you are annoying." Jaehyun stood up to grab another bottle. 

"That's all..." Hyung-sik hiccuped. "...your fault!"

"I'm not carrying you home." Jaehyun laughed. 

"Afraid I might do something to you?" His friend produced the ugliest smile he had ever seen. 

"No." Jaehyun took a sip. "Afraid I might do something to  _ you _ ."

Jaehyun moved closer to Hyung-sik just to scare him. He would never expect Jaehyun to answer to his drunk confessions. It was nothing more than a joke. Hyung-sik was clearly scared and stepped back. He swallowed hard and shifted to sit further from Jaehyun. Whenever Jae got the courage, he would do that to Hyung-sik. Make him feel the same way. Somehow that seemed to break the spell. His friend would always back off when he did so, but he always looked a bit hurt. So in the end, Jae didn't do that all the time. Most times he would just endure. Like everything else. That made him laugh out loud as he sipped on the bottle again. Only this time he felt something burn as he drank the liquid. It had never burned before and he coughed at the feeling. 

"You..." Hyung-sik hiccuped. "okay?" 

"It burns." Jaehyun stared at the bottle. 

"Of course it burns." Hyung-sik threw his hands in the air. "It's soju! It's supposed to burn!" 

"Oh." Jaehyun took another sip. "Interesting." 

The burning was truly interesting. He had never felt something like that before. Alcohol normally didn't burn, but for some reason he was feeling it now. Jae liked that feeling, since it made him feel a bit more human. Something he never truly felt. He felt as if there was always something strange inside him. Something that was neither right nor normal. Hyung-sik accepted him just like that- that was why he was special to him. The only person he felt comfortable around. But somehow he sometimes felt it was fake. Like when people were naturally nice to him. It never felt natural. 

"Hyung-sik." Jaehyun called. 

"What?"

"Do you truly like me?" 

"What do you mean?" Hyung-sik tilted his head. Confusion all over his red face. 

"Do you like me?" Jaehyun rolled his eyes. 

"You mean like a friend?" His head was still tilted. 

"Like anything." Jaehyun sipped on the alcohol again and let it burn down his throat. "Do you like me?" 

"Jaehyun..." Hyung-sik placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're family, you know?" 

"Family?"

"Yes." Hyung-sik nodded. "Like a brother. Like an uglier version of me." 

Jaehyun forced a smile, but he was a bit confused. He said brother, but would still confess from time to time. That sounded awfully wrong. 

"I know I say some weird stuff sometimes." Hyung-sik was spilling his drink again as he gestured. "And maybe I felt like kissing you once or twice."

Jaehyun moved back on the couch, almost falling over. 

"But I still consider you my brother." Hyung-sik smiled brightly. "Someone I would protect no matter what."

Jae didn't say much after that. They continued drinking and he heard Hyung-sik talk about his sister, confess to him again and talk about how they would open a shop downtown together. It all made Jaehyun smile. Hyung-sik was truly like family to him as well. He stood up for him, defended him and even helped him. He knew his secret and never told anyone except for his mother. He only did so because she knew something was wrong. Jae had an awful migraine and he couldn't really control the glow on his skin. So in order to help, she got a glimpse of his glowing skin. She knew that was not natural, but she cared for him. She made sure he got better. Jae really liked the Lee family. They were nice to him. Truly nice. 

Hyung-sik was extremely drunk and Jaehyun had to help him to his house. He put him in bed, trying to avoid waking up his mother. But he had been caught more times than he would like. Still, she would only pat him on the head and thank him with some rice cakes she made herself. He did not run into Mrs. Lee this time so he just left and went back home. No rice cakes to eat on his way back. The road was even darker as he walked back to his house. There were no more cars at a time like this. It was not extremely late, but it was empty. Jae was used to that. The lonely way back home. 

He spent the entire route thinking about the strange shadow and how Hyung-sik had said he was speaking another language. Was he really? Jaehyun did not know any other foreign language apart from English. Maybe Hyung-sik had gotten confused. Maybe he just did not hear properly. He didn't see the shadow, so maybe Jaehyun was hallucinating. But it didn't feel like it. It felt real. It felt as if he could touch that shadow. Like a person would show if he stood there long enough. It felt dark, but it also made him want to go near it. It didn't feel as dark as his sister. It felt welcoming, like he would be safe if he got near it. Like it was protecting him somehow. All those feelings made the whole thing even more bizarre. 

He could see the faint light of his house in the distance. They always kept the door light on, so it would be easy to spot the small house. All the other lights were off, so his sister was probably still asleep. She looked exhausted at dinner, so she would probably sleep a bit more that night. The remedy was clearly not as effective and this was probably taking a toll on her.

Jae finally reached his house and it felt strange again. He turned around and looked back at the road, but there was only the usual darkness, nothing really out of the ordinary. But that presence was there. He stared at the road for long, he could see every single detail, but still there was not a single soul on that road. There was nothing apart from the dirt and the cracked asphalt. Yet he could feel something near him. Something that was attractive. Like the shadow from before. Something that was welcoming and menacing at the same time. It felt almost ancient. He could almost smell it. Jaehyun shook his head and turned back around only to see that there was truly someone there. A blonde young man staring back at him. 

That man had a beauty out of this world. His face had almost perfect proportions, the amount of forehead showing was just right. There was not a single flaw on that face, apart from the small bruise on the side of his right eye. Even though it was dark, Jaehyun could perfectly see it. He could stare at that face for as long as that man would let him. It was alluring. Maybe  _ too _ alluring. The man was staring back at him and he could see a small blue glint in his eyes that looked far from human. How could those dark eyes have a blue glow? Jaehyun looked up to the sky to see if those eyes were reflecting the moon, granting him a laugh from the other man. Jaehyun shifted his gaze back to him. 

"Who are you?" Jaehyun stepped back. 

"Pleasure to meet you." The man bowed. "Lee Taeyong." 

"What do you want?" Jaehyun took another step back. That man had a threatening aura. 

"Nothing much, really." The man smiled. "I just came to pick you up." 

"Me?" Jaehyun frowned. 

"Yes." Taeyong laughed. "You, Jeong Yuno."

"What did you call me?" Jaehyun was shocked. 

He stared at that man. No one knew that name. Not even Hyung-sik. He was born with that name, but he had to change it at some point. It was for his own protection. No one could know that name nor his sister's. He never really understood why, but he obeyed. Jeong Yuno had to disappear in order for Jaehyun to survive. No one could know about that, but somehow this man knew. He knew a name that had not been spoken in many years. Jaehyun was truly scared now. He took more steps back as he tried to get away from that Lee Taeyong. His menacing aura growing thicker, making the air hard to breathe. 

"I can call you Jaehyun-ssi if you prefer." Taeyong grinned. 

"Who exactly are you?" Jaehyun took two more steps back. 

"You will soon find out." 

Suddenly Taeyong was standing very close to him. It only took him a second to do so and that was clearly impossible for anyone normal. Anyone  _ human _ . He was far from that. He looked extremely young, as if he had just turned 19, but somehow he felt old at the same time. He felt much older than that. This man was far from human. Jaehyun was sure. He was far from anything normal. He was threatening, but in a way that it almost made you want to go with him. An alluring kind of death. Jaehyun was too shocked to move again, but he only felt a buzz in his ears before everything turned dark. The last thing he saw were those dark eyes and the faint blue glint inside of them.


	2. II

"Why does your skin sparkle?" The kid had a runny nose and Jaehyun felt disgusted.

"It doesn't ." Jaehyun pushed his sleeves down. "You're seeing things." 

"I'm Hyung-sik." The kid extended his hand. "Lee Hyung-sik." 

"And?" Jae moved away from the small kid. 

"My mom owns this shop." He pointed at the big green store behind them. "I get free candy." 

"Good for you." 

"Do you want candy?"

Jaehyun tilted his head. He was being awfully unpleasant to that kid, yet he was offering him candy. Jae sighed. It was always like that. People would go out of their way to offer him stuff. Candy, water, soda, snacks, food. Anything. He would always be offered something good. Something other people would not get. It was annoying, but Jae really liked candy. 

"Yes."

The kid cleaned his nose on his sleeve and then fished out some candy from his jacket's pocket. It was truly disgusting, but it was candy nevertheless. Hyung-sik handed him a small red wrapper with a small candy inside. He smiled at Jaehyun like he was proud of himself. 

"Thank you," Jaehyun mumbled before putting it in his mouth. 

"If you want more." He smiled. "You'll have to pay." 

This was different. People never made him pay. He could get anything without paying. His aunt said it was because he was a handsome young man. It wasn't. He saw people that looked much better than him, yet they didn't get free stuff. Jaehyun arched a brow at Hyung-sik. This kid was different. That made him smile. 

"I have to pay?" 

"Yes." Hyung-sik put another one of his candies in his mouth. "My mom is the only one that sells that candy around here. If you want more, you have to become my mom's customer." 

Smart kid. 

"And what happens if I don't have money?" 

"Ask your mom." Hyung-sik popped yet another candy inside his mouth. He looked like a hamster. 

"I don't have a mother." Jaehyun shrugged. 

"Your dad, then."

"Don't have one either."

"YOU ARE AN ORPHAN?" Hyung-sik screamed loudly. "I HAVE NEVER MET AN ORPHAN BEFORE!" 

He seemed genuinely curious about this. 

"I have an aunt." Jaehyun rolled his eyes. "I live with her and my sister." 

"I only have my mom." Hyung-sik sucked on the candy inside his mouth. "My dad died a couple of years ago." 

"Do you miss him?" Jaehyun was curious.

"Fuck no!" Hyung-sik was angry.

"MANNERS, LEE HYUNG-SIK." A woman screamed from inside the store. Probably his mother. 

"Sorry, mom." He rolled his eyes. "But no. I don't miss that asshole. He used to beat my mom and me up. I hated him." 

"You're glad he's dead?" Jaehyun was interested in the weird kid with a runny nose and free candy. 

"Yup!" Hyung-sik was confident. 

"Interesting."

"What?" Hyung-sik looked at Jaehyun confused. 

"Want to be my friend?" 

"Really?" Hyung-sik was exuding happiness. "Like friends for real?"

"Yes." Jaehyun smiled. "Don't you have any friends?" 

"Not really." 

"Me neither." 

Hyung-sik fished another candy and handed it over to Jaehyun. They stood there for a long time eating candy and staring at the road. They didn't say a word to each other, but they were happy with the company. Jae's aunt left the store and they headed home. For the first time in his life he had a friend. He did not know what friends did or how to act around a friend. But he was happy he had someone to call a friend. 

Jaehyun opened his eyes and all he could see was red. Everything was extremely red to a point it hurt his eyes. He blinked his eyes a couple of times and moved around only to find he was lying on a very big bed. The soft touch made him immediately sit upright. The room was fully decorated in red and burgundy, with a few touches of gold. It seemed like something out of a Renaissance painting. Something ancient. It wasn't exactly pretty, but it was interesting. He looked around, still blinking and trying to focus until his eyes focused on one spot specifically. 

Lee Taeyong was sitting on a chair facing the bed. He was playing with a little golden ball between his fingers, but he was too far away for Jaehyun to see properly what it was. 

"You are up." Taeyong smiled at him as he put the golden object in his pocket. 

"Where am I?" Jaehyun kept looking around, almost frantically. 

"My den." Taeyong stood up. 

"Den?" 

"This is one of the rooms in the den. You can stay here if you like, but there are other rooms available. You are free to choose." 

"Thank you for your hospitality." Jae was being sarcastic. "But I have to go home." 

"You _are_ home." Taeyong was serious. 

"Are you going to force me to stay here?" 

"If I have to." Taeyong stepped forward. "Yes." 

Jaehyun swallowed. Lee Taeyong was a threatening man and again he felt like he was talking to someone much older than him. He felt as if he should be extremely respectful to him. Yet he looked as young as him. 

He finally managed to get out of the enormous bed he was lying on. He had never slept on a real bed, much less one that looked like that. He stared at it for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to Taeyong. He was still standing in the same place, but his features had softened a bit. It felt less threatening. 

"Are you hungry?" Taeyong asked calmly. 

"Yes." Jaehyun did not feel like lying to that man. Something told him that he would not fall for any of his lies. 

"What do you want to eat?"

"Anything is good." Jaehyun shook his head. "I'm not a picky eater." 

Taeyong hummed. 

The man turned around and walked towards the big wooden door in front of the bed. Jaehyun followed behind. As soon as the door opened, it felt completely different from the room they had been in. There was a long white corridor with many doors. So many he lost count. Taeyong looked over his shoulder and let out a small smile. Jaehyung was surprised to see his mouth was agape. He quickly closed it. He walked down the hallway observing every single detail. Some doors had initials on them while others had nothing. They were all a very dark tone of the wood. A dark brown that contrasted with the all-white hallway. 

After a while, they took a turn to the left and Jaehyun was surprised to see even more doors. But this time they had numbers on them. He was truly curious as to what was behind those doors. Taeyong finally stopped. They were facing a large wooden door that seemed to close in the middle. Suddenly, it opened and both men stepped inside. Again Jaehyun was looking around with extreme curiosity. He felt as if they were being lifted and he understood that they were in an elevator. He had not ridden many elevators in his life, maybe once or twice. But this felt nothing like that. It felt almost magical. He shook his head because of that stupid thought. 

The doors opened again and they were now in a large room. They were not alone anymore. There were couches and armchairs. It all felt extremely fancy. Just like those houses he had seen in the TV dramas. Rich people’s houses. This room had a bit more color to it. The furniture was colorful and the wall had some sort of pattern painted on it. It seemed extremely expensive and unique. It did feel a lot nicer than that red room he was in before. 

As they began to walk, everyone seemed to rise to their feet. All men. They all looked rich and fancy. They matched the scenario, but Jaehyun didn't. He had a black t-shirt and sweatpants, and only now did he realize he was bare footed. This was a bit humiliating. Every single person in that room was looking at him and he could only lower his head in the hope that people would stop staring. But they didn't. They all had that look that most men gave him. That look of interest, as if he was a mere prey and they were the hunters. It was that desire mixed with awe. It felt unnerving. 

"Leave," Taeyong said in a deep voice. 

It only took a few seconds for every single person in that room to disappear. It was almost like what he had done that night. He walked so fast that it felt inhuman. And now all those men seemed far from humans as well. Jaehyun was even more worried now. What was this place and who were these people? Den? What sort of den was he referring to? He realized Taeyong had stopped so he followed suit. 

"Sit." Taeyong gestured to a big dining table on his left. 

Jaehyun obeyed and sat down quickly. Taeyong laughed and Jaehyun looked around to see if he had done something wrong. He was seated at the head of the table, but it did not feel like he had done something wrong at all. He had just taken a seat. The other man sat beside him and stared. It was unnerving as well. Jaehyun hated when people stared at him. 

"Interesting." Taeyong grinned. 

"What?" Jaehyun fixed his clothes a bit too nervously. 

"You attract all the attention in the room the moment you set foot in it." 

Jaehyun swallowed. 

"I used to be the only person who could do that." He laughed. 

"Is that a bad thing?" Jaehyun was asking honestly. He was confused. 

"It is not." Taeyong propped his head on his hand. "It means you are very powerful." 

"Powerful?" Jaehyun turned his head a few times, almost as if he was trying to deny what Taeyong had just said. 

Suddenly, two plates were put in front of them. One had a steak with potatoes and the other had a small salad. Jaehyun had never seen a plate like that in his life. He had only seen it on TV and social media. He always wanted to try something like that and it was now sitting in front of him. Food he had never eaten before. He was not poor, but this was not the kind of food he would have in his house. This was fancy. Almost luxurious. He picked the knife and the fork while Taeyong stared at him with what seemed like curiosity. Jaehyun cut a piece of the steak and put it in his mouth, calmly. 

"You have never eaten this." Taeyong was amused. 

Jaehyun shook his head. 

They ate silently for a while. Jaehyun was very much enjoying the food in front of him and trying to ignore being stared at by that handsome and mysterious blonde man. It was strange, but after a while, he started to become a bit more comfortable in his company. It felt even stranger to be calm around him. Jaehyun finally finished his meal and the plates were quickly removed. So quickly he did not even get to see the person's face. It was strange. 

"Where is my sister?" Jaehyun managed to ask. 

"She is safe." He cleaned his mouth with the napkin. "But she cannot stay here." 

"My aunt?" 

"Safe as well." Taeyong put the napkin on the table. "She will be taken care of as well. She did a very good job hiding you and you sister. She has earned our respect." 

"Who exactly are you?" Jaehyun was a bit angry. 

"I have many names." Taeyong smiled. "The newest one is Lee Taeyong." 

"Newest?" 

"You can feel that I am older than I appear, can't you?" 

"Yes." 

"Good." Taeyong tapped his fingers on the table. "Your abilities are functioning properly." 

"Can you please tell me what you are talking about?" Jaehyun was begging. 

"Humans have many names for us. I do not like any of them." Taeyong tilted his head. "We are different from them, so they feel as if we have to be tagged. They desire us and they kill us for their sick pleasure."

"Humans? Us?" Jaehyun was confused. 

"You know you are different from them." Taeyong tapped the table again. "You don't look like them nor do you feel like them. Am I wrong?" 

"No." Jaehyun sighed. 

"We are not human. You can say we are close to what humans call gods." He leaned closer. "Exquisite individuals." 

"Wait." Jaehyun shook his head. "What?" 

"Every hundred years, we mate and produce more individuals like us." Taeyong smiled. "We can only be born from pure breeding. Which means your father and your mother were both like us." 

"They are dead."

"Yes." Taeyong sighed. "They were hunted down and murdered." 

"By whom?" 

"As I said. We are exquisite individuals and humans are greedy little creatures." Taehyung hissed. "They discovered that if they drink our blood, they can have our powers for a short span of time. The more you drink, the more powerful you become." 

"What are we?" 

"We are the sons and daughters of Mother Goddess." 

"Mother Goddess as in Cybele? That Cybele?" 

"I am not a fan of names, but yes, you could say so." Taeyong laughed amusedly. "You are indeed very smart." 

"This does not make any sense."

"Humans have a very simple understanding of the creation of their world or why they are even here." He extended his hand, asking for Jaehyun's hand. He calmly placed his hand on top of Taeyong's "We, on the other hand, have a much more complex understanding of what we are and our mission in this world." 

"So we are gods?" 

"Humans like to call us that." Taeyong caressed Jaehyun's hand. "But I do not believe we fit in that category. We are what we are." 

"And what is that?" 

"You are a member of my den." Taeyong grabbed Jaehyun's hand tightly. "You are part of our Family." 

The room spun a bit before Jaehyun could make it stop again. Nothing of what Taeyong said made sense, yet it did. It was a complicated feeling. He had said they were some sort of exquisite breed of individuals that descended from a goddess of Phrygian culture. This felt like some sort of prank. How could anyone be the descendant of a goddess? And what did he mean by exquisite? They had superpowers? Jaehyun definitely didn't. Everything made even less sense as that man spoke. It almost sounded like a bad joke, but it felt real. Maybe too real. Suddenly, Jaehyun pulled his hand back, making Taeyong's lip twitch. 

"I would like to see my sister." 

"I have to ask for permission." Taeyong put his hands together and intertwined his fingers calmly. 

"Permission from whom?" Jaehyun was slightly annoyed. 

"In our world, there are different Families with different abilities, rules, and hierarchy." Taeyong clicked his tongue. "Your sister belongs to a different Family and therefore I have to ask her mother for permission before you can see her." 

Jaehyun inhaled deeply, extremely annoyed. He wanted to see his sister. Have a bit of normality back in his life. But something or someone was stopping him from doing so. The anger inside of him bubbled. That man had been speaking a lot of nonsense and as much as it all sounded plausible, it was probably just the way he said it. Hell, it did not sound plausible at all. It sounded like a bad script of a Percy Jackson kind of book. He's the son of a goddess. Of course. And Taeyong is a mix between a nymph and a jackass god. He probably hates his dad and will fight his way up to Olympus. 

"I strongly recommend that you treat me with respect." 

Just like his sister, Taeyong seemed to have heard every single word he had just thought. His mouth had been closed the entire time, but yet he answered. This was truly insane. 

"I'm sorry." Jaehyun felt compelled to say. "I'm not mad at you." 

"You have been hidden and shielded from our world and the truth for a long time. I understand that this all feels different and complicated. But I do not accept disrespect. I am not the son of a nymph and a _jackass_ god." Taeyong's eyes were dark. "Both my parents were hunted down and slaughtered by humans, so I do not appreciate any disrespectful comments about either of them." 

"You..." 

He had heard it all. Jaehyun was sure he did not say those words. They never left his mouth. Yet, he quoted him. Quoted his thoughts. How? This was a bit too insane for him. Too untrue. But he was the one who glowed in the sun, the one who made people interested in him just by looking, he had extremely fast reflexes that most people regarded as inhuman, the change of color in his eyes, Ji-hye's ability to make people so scared without even touching them. Everything felt oddly inhuman, but he never actually believed that was true. That he was indeed something else. Jaehyun pushed the chair back and stood up quickly. 

"You know you are unlike them." Taeyong sighed. "You have never felt as if you belonged with them."

Jaehyun swallowed. 

"That is because you belong with us." Taeyong stood up. "I will teach you all you have to know. I will protect you. Keep you safe. Do not worry. Your family will protect you." 

The appeal in those words. Jaehyun almost felt caressed by them. Something in the way Taeyong spoke, made you instantly accept it. Made you accept it as the one and only truth. Yet, he felt like it wasn't necessarily what he meant. Not entirely. He stared at Taeyong and he could see that faint blue glow in his eyes again. It always looked as if it was reflecting a full moon. It was not strong so most people probably didn't even realize, but it was there. It glowed brighter as Jaehyun stared at it and he now felt as if he was fighting his own head. Like his thoughts were being substituted by what Taeyong had just said. 

"What are you doing?" Jaehyun shook his head. 

"You felt it?" Taeyong was amused. 

"Your eyes." Jae shook his head again and held it between his. "My head." 

"You fought against it." Taeyong stepped closer. "Very interesting. You are more powerful than I anticipated." 

"He is interesting." Another voice sounded in the back of the room, making Jaehyun turn his head to look. 

That man was handsome and he walked as if he was floating. Every step he took towards Jaehyun made him want to hide. He was extremely menacing, yet his face was soft. It was truly scary that he felt so threatened by someone who looked and sounded so calm and sweet. Almost like a snake. You could be mesmerized by its colorful scales in such a way that you did not see it biting into you until it was too late. That man had the same allure as Taeyong- made him want to step closer to danger. Jaehyun almost wanted to stand up and walk towards him, get as close as possible. He did not feel as ancient as Taeyong. But he did feel much more threatening and all Jaehyun could feel was desire. 

"Indeed he is." Taeyong smiled at the other man. "He is the boy I told you about." 

"Jaehyun." The man called his name in a way that made him want to bow to him like he was a master calling his servant. Jaehyun's body was almost compelled to obey. 

"Stop." Taeyong almost hissed. 

"What?" The man laughed. "I want to see just how strong he is." 

"You want me to bow?" Jaehyun was confused. 

"He is interesting." The man contoured his shoulder with his fingers. "He feels the action." 

"Jaehyun-ssi, this is Kim Dong Young." Taeyong gestured at the other man. "You can call him Doyoung." 

"No, you can't." Doyoung hissed. 

"Stop being rude to a newcomer." Taeyong smiled. "He is just a kid." 

"Fine," Doyoung said between gritted teeth.

Somehow it felt as if Taeyong had just made Doyoung say that. That man did not want to be friends with Jaehyun, but somehow he had accepted what Taeyong had said. Jaehyun could see the faint blue glint in his eyes and he instantly knew that those words were not real. Doyoung was forced by whatever mindtrick Taeyong used. It was a bit strange, but somehow it felt funny. The menacing man being broken by those blue eyes. Taeyong kept on becoming more alluring as time went by. He was almost like a brand new toy that Jaehyun did not want to let go. He almost felt despair as he imagined having to let go of him. This was strange. He had never felt anything like that. Anything as intense. 

"And the sister?" Doyoung asked. 

"She is from the dark kind." Taeyong looked annoyed. "Mother is taking care of her." 

"Dark?" Jaehyun sounded confused. 

"Your sister has a set of abilities that are extremely unique." Taeyong sighed. "But her nature is extremely dark and it has to be contained in order to not upset the balance." 

"He's trying to say your sister is a death spirit." Doyoung rolled his eyes. 

"Like a Kere?" Jaehyun felt scared. 

"Yes, humans call them Keres, Valkyries, and many other names." Taeyong was staring at Doyoung. He seemed annoyed. "They are just beings that are closer to death. They are not pure evil like humans like to portray in their books and paintings." 

"And what are we?" Jaehyun was curious. 

"A mess." Doyoung laughed. "Everyone here likes to have fun in a different way." 

"What Doyoung is trying to say is that our Family is one who has individuals with different abilities. Unlike other families." 

"Why?" 

"Because the fucked up ones should stay together." Doyoung was unamused as he stared at Taeyong. 

"Could you refrain from using such vulgar language to refer to your brothers?" Taeyong sighed. 

"You sound like a bad book." Doyoung raised his brow. "You should stick to 21st century language. It would make you less boring." 

Doyoung glanced over at Jaehyun before he turned and left. He seemed annoyed. But somehow he felt interesting as well. Like someone, you would like to have a long conversation with. He seemed intelligent as well. In mere seconds, the man was gone as well. Jae did not really see where he went, but it was fast. He and Taeyong were alone again and when he looked over at the other man, he was pressing his temples. He did look like an old man when he did so. A very handsome old man. Taeyong had a very complicated beauty. It was almost as if he was a painting. You could look from a distance and deem it beautiful, yet there was a bloodbath painted on the canvas and the closer you got, the more gruesome the scene would look. It was truly interesting. 

Taeyong walked across the room and sat in one of the armchairs around a small coffee table. Jaehyun followed suit. He sat opposite Taeyong and began to look around. There was not a single window in that room and when he looked back, he remembered that he had not seen a single window since he had woken up. It was almost as if this place was underground. It felt like a bunker. Just like that X-Men hideout he had seen in the movies. It felt funny but it also felt too stuffy. 

"We are underground," Taeyong said as he crossed his legs. "It's safer." 

"Why?" Jaehyun was curious again. 

"Safety reasons." Taeyong smiled. "And because some of your brothers cannot stay in the sunlight for long." 

"Oh." 

"Your skin glows in the sun, doesn't it?" Taeyong tapped his fingers on his thigh. 

Jaehyun nodded. 

"And you can see well in the dark, can't you?" 

Jaehyun nodded again. 

"Humans are very conflicted by your kind." He laughed. "You can be either the descendant of a goddess or of a mythological dragon." 

"What?" 

"You descend from those who create and bring light." Taeyong leaned closer as if he was anxious to say something. "Nefertem, Cipactonal, Zhulong, Ushas, Baldr, Apollo, Hyperion, Theia, Aurora. Humans have far too many names for those kinds of individuals. Every culture in the world has somehow worshipped a deity in charge of the light." 

"So I can create light?" Jaehyun was a bit too excited. 

"To a certain extent." Taeyong laughed. "We are not original beings. We have a limit to what we can do. And there are also rules." 

"Rules?" Jaehyun was curious. 

"Yes." Taeyong tilted his head. "In order to maintain the balance. You will learn about it with time. I will help you." 

Jaehyun only hummed. 

"Have you thought about your room?" Taeyong smiled. "I know you did not like the red room." 

"Oh, yes." Jaehyun was embarrassed. "It was a bit too red." 

"What do you like?" 

"Simple?" He was a bit embarrassed to admit that he would be ok with a mattress on the floor.

"Simple it is." Taeyong laughed lightly. 

The two men talked for a little longer, mostly about Jaehyun's childhood and when he began to see differences between him and other people. It was not easy to talk about such things, but he felt compelled to share. Taeyong was probably doing his mind trick the whole time, so there was no way of hiding anything from him. But he now felt as if he was not as menacing as he had imagined at first. He felt almost like a father and maybe that was his position in that Family. Maybe that's why everyone did what he said. It was strange, but he was enticing. He was truly interesting. 

After a while, they both stood up and Taeyong led him back to the white hallway with an alarming number of doors. They walked a bit down the hall and stopped in front of one of the doors. Taeyong smiled at Jaehyun once more as he opened the door. He seemed amused by everything Jae did and that was probably because he was listening to his thoughts. He would have to be careful about that. As soon as the door opened, Jaehyun's mouth opened once again. The room was indeed beautiful. It was nothing like the red room he had been in before. It was very well decorated. Again it felt like something from a TV drama. It was simply decorated with shades of blue. It was soothing even. But it still felt luxurious and very far from anything Jaehyun had ever seen. 

Jaehyun walked around as Taeyong sat on the edge of the bed, staring at him with an amused look on his face. 

"Do you like it?" 

"Yes." Jaehyun smiled. "It's beautiful." 

"Good." Taeyong clapped silently. "I hope you feel at home." 

"Me too." Jaehyun was being honest as he looked around the room, taking in the beautiful decor. 

The answer made the other man smile once more. His smile was extremely nice. 

"Jaehyun." Taeyong called him, making him turn his head to look at him. "We don't follow human cultural rules. You are free to do as you wish, as long as you don't put our family at risk."

"Human cultural rules?" Jaehyun was truly confused. 

"They look at you differently, don't they?" Taeyong grinned.

Taeyong _knew_. He knew about the strange looks he would get. People looked at him with some sort of desire in their eyes and it always felt wrong. Felt absurd. But he was sure Taeyong knew exactly why. Jaehyun could only swallow. 

"It's more than desire." Taeyong licked his lips. "It's far more than that." 

Jaehyun felt the air getting thicker again. Taeyong did that. He wanted to look away, but he was trapped staring into that man's eyes. He could not look away, no matter how much he tried. He was absorbed in those eyes, but they were not blue. They were dark, _very_ dark. Almost as if he could drown in that darkness. Somehow it reminded him of the way his sister's eyes would get from time to time. Something so dark it felt hollow. The problem was that when it happened to Ji-hye, he wanted to look away. With Taeyong he felt like he couldn't. He wanted to look away so badly, but his body was forcing him to stare. He was having trouble breathing. Jaehyun could not break that eye contact. 

"They look at you as if you were their prey, don't they?" Taeyong leaned forward, the darkness becoming even more intense. 

The thoughts in his head were a mess. He was sure he desired that man more than anything, more than the air he needed to breathe. Taeyong was just talking to him, but every time his lips moved he would catch a glimpse of his tongue and that made his skin crawl. He wanted to taste it. He could see all the things he wanted to do to Taeyong. Jaehyun could see that he was just sitting in that bed, but he could imagine every single thing they could do in that bed. He could see the naked skin of his chest. He could feel his touch on his skin. The warmth of his body against his. He was burning up. 

It felt wrong, but when he looked at that man, it felt right. He truly just wanted to have him right there, in that instant. Taeyong was just a few steps from him. Jaehyun wanted him. Those lips, that body. He wanted everything about him. Jaehyun stepped forward even if his mind told him to walk away. Taeyong was there. He would have that man, nothing could tell him otherwise. He _needed_ to have him in his arms. Until the air got breathable again. Jaehyun inhaled deeply. He looked down, trying to avoid Taeyong's eyes, but as he did so he could see the bulge in his pants. Jae stepped back again. His face was burning with shame and he knew he was red as a tomato. 

"Don't be ashamed." Taeyong leaned back, supporting his hands on the mattress. 

"You..." Jaehyun could not even speak, just pant. 

"This is interesting." Taeyong licked his lips again. " _You_ are interesting." 

"Why?" Jaehyun wheezed. 

"Certain beings can create those kinds of thoughts." Taeyong grinned. "I can only heighten or stimulate thoughts that are already present in someone's mind." 

Jaehyun choked on those words. He took two steps back as he stared into Taeyong’s eyes.


	3. III

Jaehyun was staring at Taeyong, but all he wanted was to disappear from the face of the earth. If he could only heighten certain thoughts, that meant that at some point Jaehyun had thought of him like that. He had desired him like that. He was unsure of when that happened, but it felt weird. Jaehyun had never desired anyone in his life, much less a man. He did not feel like any of that could be true. It all felt invasive to a certain extent. Taeyong's face changed.

"Forgive me." Taeyong was no longer smiling. "I was out of line." 

"I-I." Jaehyun couldn't speak. 

Taeyong hummed and stood up. The sudden movement made Jaehyun step back even further, almost reaching the wall. Taeyong bowed and left the room without saying a word. Jaehyun could finally breathe. He wobbled to the bed and lied down, staring at the ceiling for a long time. Trying to make sense of what had just happened. He had no idea when his eyes closed, but at some point everything was dark. 

"Jae Jae" Ji-hye was calling him

His sister could be extremely sweet sometimes, especially when she called him like that. Jaehyhun liked that nickname. He wasn't sure when people began calling him like that, but now everyone just seemed to call him that. 

"I'm here." Jaehyun raised his hand. 

His sister was not far, but he was already standing in the middle of the field. Ji-hye walked towards him with a smile on her face. He liked her like that, carefree. Looking at him as if he was the most important thing in her world. Maybe he was or maybe he liked to think like that, yet it felt good. Whenever his sister looked at him it felt different from the way other people did. Even his aunt would stare at him with those weird eyes sometimes. Looking at him like they could devour him. It looked like complete desperation and he was the cause. But not Ji-hye. Not his  _ noona _ . 

"Why did you run, JaeJae?" 

"I wanted to." Jaehyun had a shy smile on his face. 

"You like running away from me?" Noona seemed offended. 

"No-no." He stumbled on his words. "I swear, noona! I will never run away!" 

Ji-hye stepped closer and patted him on the head, she had a soft smile on her lips as she did so. His sister always had moments like this, in which she would say the simplest thing and Jaehyun just grew desperate trying to apologize. Sometimes there was not even a reason for it, but he just felt as if he needed to. Like everything would explode if he didn't. He would always see something inside his sister's eyes when that happened. Something dark, but there was also a crimson glint. 

"It's okay, JaeJae." She smiled as she held his hand and intertwined their fingers. " _ Noona _ knows you will never leave me." 

And with those words, Jaehyun knew that he could never leave his sister. There was something that bound him to her that he would never dare to break. He was not sure why he felt like that, but he knew he could not betray Ji-hye. The consequences seemed too painful. He had no idea what those were, but he somehow knew that. He could almost feel it. It felt so strange. 

"Never." It was the only thing he could say. 

Ji-hye grinned at him. She looked somehow pleased, but he didn't know why. He felt happy that he was the one who made her feel like that. Happy at himself. He was such a good brother. He would always stay on his sister's side. They would always be together. Always have each other. There was no other option. There did not need to be, did it? Jaehyun was a bit confused inside his head, but he ignored it. He just wanted to look at his noona's face. See that he had been a good boy. A good brother. That was all he needed. He wanted to get lost in those dark eyes. 

Waking up felt as if Jaehyun had just woken up from a nightmare. He was sweaty and breathless. The blue room was still there and he was lying on that big fluffy bed. It felt unreal. Of course, it did. Someone had just told him he was not human, that he descended from some sort of god or he was a god-like creature. It could not be true, yet he had not tried to run away. Truth was, he did not know how to leave that place. Maybe Taeyong's words were true or maybe he had worked his mind trick to make Jae think it was true. It was all real when it was just a dream. A hallucination of sorts. 

He sat on the bed and looked around. Nothing had truly changed, but for some reason, he expected it had. Jaehyun got out of bed and looked around again. He had not brought anything with him. He had no clothes nor shoes, making him feel a bit embarrassed. Maybe there was a set of clothes in his closet that he could borrow. It felt strange borrowing those clothes, but he would give them back. Jaehyun walked to the closet on the other side of the room and opened it with caution. There were rows and rows of black shirts. Something he was very used to. Most of his clothes were black. He picked one up and took the one he was wearing off. His skin emitted a faint glint. It was probably sunny outside. That put a small smile on his face. 

Jaehyun opened one of the drawers below and he could see there were a few sweatpants. He picked a grey one and put it on. It felt a bit tight, but not enough to bother him that much. It was a loan, he had no right to complain. As soon as he met with Taeyong, he would explain and ask him to get his clothes. It would be better like that. He put on the grey sweatpants and walked out of the room. He was still barefooted. The long white corridor felt familiar this time. It looked like something out of a movie. He would get used to it at some point. That is if he decided to believe everything Taeyong had told him. It still felt as if he was induced to believe his words.

The long corridor finally had a turn and he could see the elevator he had used before. He turned to walk towards the corridor, but as he walked, a door on his left opened. Doyoung was now standing in front of him. 

"New kid." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

"Good morning." Jaehyun forced a smile. Doyoung was scary. 

"It's not morning yet." Doyoung scoffed. 

"Yet?" Jaehyun was confused. "What time is it?" 

Doyoung closed his eyes and thought for a second. 

"Around 4 am." He nodded. 

"What?" 

"Time works differently around here." Doyoung rolled his eyes. "I suggest you walk around with a watch." 

Doyoung made that sound like a threat even if his tone was very calm. 

"Thank you." Jaehyun forced out another smile. "I'm looking fo-"

"Doyoung,  _ hyung _ ." A high pitched voice called him from behind Jaehyun, making him turn. It was almost as if he had sung that sentence and it sounded beautiful. 

"Yes?" Doyoung was dry. 

"I was looking for you!" The man seemed extremely happy. 

That smile of his almost seemed as if he could light up an entire room. He was so bright and beautiful. Jaehyun could not help staring. He had black hair that lined perfectly with his eyes, not covering them entirely. It was a bit of a mess, but maybe that's what made him even more handsome. Jaehyun was a bit taken aback by how all those men seemed to have such an impact on him. He had never felt like that near any other man, but for some reason every single person in that place made him have some sort of lust feeling. It was strange.

"Why?" Doyoung seemed extremely bothered. 

"Remember when you told me to find tha-" 

"This is the new kid." Doyoung interrupted the other man. 

"New kid?" The man tilted his head and frowned. "You look weird." 

"What?" Jaehyun was offended. 

"I'm Jungwoo." He smiled brightly. 

"Jaehyun." 

"Well," Jungwoo turned to face Doyoung again. "I found it." 

"Good." Doyoung turned and began moving again. "We'll talk later." 

"But..." Jungwoo was almost whining. 

"Later," Doyoung said coldly as he stopped in front of the elevator. 

For a second, he just stared at Jungwoo. He had a certain appeal. Something he could not ignore. He was tall and handsome, the kind of beauty that is easy on the eye. And that scent. He had a very specific scent. Almost like a forest. The sweetness of blossoms and the distinct smell of bark. It was refreshing. Jaehyun followed Doyoung and stopped behind him. Avoiding his eyes felt safer. There was a faint sound and the doors opened again. Both men stepped inside and the silence became brutal. Jae was not sure where he should go, but he felt a bit insecure to tell Doyoung that he wanted to find Taeyong. 

"If you want to say something, say it," Doyoung said coldly. 

"Do you know where Taeyong is?" 

"His office." 

"Can you tell me where it is?" Jaehyun could say he was a bit annoyed with Doyoung's demeanor. 

"That is where I'm headed." Doyoung was dry. 

Jaehyun nodded even though he knew Doyoung could not see. Or maybe he could. Everyone looked like they had some sort of superpower. Jaehyun almost laughed at the thought of Doyoung wearing an Avenger-like suit to save the world. But he did look like one of the villains. He felt like one as well. Jaehyun felt guilty. It was not nice to say he was a villain. Even though the way he arched his brows was something only very mean villains did. The smile on Jaehyun's face was too big to be hidden. He was amused at his thoughts. The elevator suddenly stopped and Doyoung stepped out as soon as the doors opened. Jae followed closely behind. He knew these people were very good at disappearing. 

After a few twists and turns, they stopped in front of a closed door. It had only a number on it. 10. Doyoung lowered his head and waited. Jaehyun was confused if he should do the same, but before he could decide, the door opened and a smiley Taeyong greeted them. He seemed to be always smiling. Always nice and gentle. It was strange. Jaehyun could not forget what he had done and said earlier. He could not ignore the strange feeling inside of him. Jae could not even look that man in the eye. He was too embarrassed. 

"Jaehyun." Taeyong smiled brightly at him. "You're up." 

"I'm here as well," Doyoung said coldly as he entered the room. 

Taeyong and Doyoung sat beside each other in the armchairs. Jaehyun looked around before he took his place in the third armchair, opposite Taeyong. His office was a bit dark, but it was still very interesting. There were a large number of books spread on the bookshelves that took up an entire wall. Jaehyun had no idea what they were about, but they did look extremely interesting. Somehow, Jae was always very attracted to books. He never really had much access to them, so he would treasure any book he could get his hands on. For him, that wall was something out of a dream. 

"Let him," Taeyong spoke, making Jaehyun snap out of his daze. 

"It's boring." Doyoung rolled his eyes. 

"I'm sorry." Jaehyun lowered his head, avoiding both men's eyes. 

"Don't be," Taeyong said in a playful tone. "Doyoung is just very impatient." 

"I am." Doyoung stared coldly at Jaehyun. 

Jae swallowed. 

"Jaehyun," Taeyong called him. "I feel as if you have a lot on your mind. Feel free to ask." 

"Why am I here?" Jaehyun asked. 

He truly wanted to know that, but there were many other things that he wanted to ask. Jae just couldn't muster the courage to do so. Still, he needed to know why he was brought to that place and why Taeyong had gone to the trouble to get him. Jae understood very clearly that Taeyong was the head of that family. He was important. So why would such an important person come to find him personally? As his thoughts began to unveil, he stopped. Taeyong was probably listening to them all. He could not hide them from him. The other man was smiling at him and Jaehyun understood that he was truly aware of all his thoughts. This felt unnerving.

"As I said, there are people who take pleasure in hunting and killing individuals like us." Taeyong sighed. "It is safer for you to be with us." 

"Am I coming?" Doyoung stared at his fingers. 

"Yes." Taeyong put his hand in his pocket and fished out the little round golden object he had been playing with before. "Jungwoo and Johnny are coming as well." 

"Why is Jungwoo coming?" Doyoung seemed truly annoyed. 

"Because no one can say no to Jungwoo." Taeyong laughed. 

The look Doyoung gave that man was the coldest thing Jaehyun had ever seen. It was as if he had been deeply hurt by that simple comment. Maybe he truly was. There was no way of knowing it, but Taeyong seemed to be having fun. The two of them were complete opposites. Doyoung was always so cold and menacing, but Taeyong was always smiling and warm. It made you want to be near him. Made you want to listen to every single word he had to say. That felt a bit strange, but Jaehyun could not control himself. 

"We are visiting some friends." Taeyong clicked his tongue. "And I would like you to join us."

"He's a liability." Doyoung was angry. "They don't like outsiders." 

"He is not an outsider, Doyoung." Taeyong's eyes were dark again. "He is a member of  _ our _ family and it would be wise for you to remember that." 

Doyoung seemed like he wanted to answer- he looked almost desperate to do so. Yet, he said nothing. Almost as if he couldn't. There was no explanation other than Taeyong. This felt like he’s doing. Whenever he used one of his mind tricks, the air would get thicker. Jaehyun could see him playing with that little golden ball of his. Doyoung looked miserable. Something shifted and the air became lighter. Taeyong's eyes were not as dark and Jae could breathe without difficulty. Doyoung was mad.  _ Truly _ mad. In a second, he was up and staring down at Taeyong. 

"It would be wise to remember who I am." Doyoung hissed before storming out of the room. 

Taeyong sighed. 

"I'm sorry about that." He rubbed his temples. "Doyoung has quite the temper." 

"It's okay." Jaehyun was a bit worried. "He is probably right." 

"He is not." Taeyong was serious. "You  _ are _ a member of this family." 

Jaehyun somehow felt like that was not the least reassuring. 

The very tall man that answered by the name of Johnny was the assigned driver. Taeyong was sitting in the passenger seat while Jae was sitting in the backseat between Jungwoo and Doyoung. This was awkward, to say the least. Doyoung had been silent ever since they met up to go to the car. Taeyong seemed annoyed as well. Jungwoo was the only person who had kept on smiling even though the silence was deadly. Johnny was not a man of many words, to begin with, so he probably was just comfortable with it all. 

"Why now?" Jungwoo finally broke the silence. 

"They have been greatly affected as well." Taeyong was cold. 

"How so?" Johnny was the one who spoke. 

"There have been two attacks." Taeyong sighed. "Two children." 

"Two sisters." Jungwoo corrected him. 

"Sisters?" Johnny asked. 

"Triplets," Jungwoo spoke again. "They took two out of three." 

"Rendering the child useless." Taeyong sighed again. 

"This is bad." Johnny sighed as he sped through the empty streets. 

Jaehyun tried to look calm, but he was fascinated. He had never seen so many buildings and life. It was the middle of the night, but there were still people out. Walking around the bright streets. There was so much light. So much energy. It felt so distant from him. He sighed loud enough to be audible. Jungwoo was staring at him. 

"Anything on your mind?" Jungwoo had a sweet tone. 

"Oh." Jaehyun flushed. "No. Nothing." 

Jungwoo hummed as he continued to stare at Jaehyun. 

"You like the light, don't you?" He smiled. 

"What?" Jaehyun was confused. 

"What's your descent?" He was curious. "I can't tell you." 

"Jungwoo." Doyoung hissed. "Be silent." 

"Why?" Jungwoo was whining. "I want to get to know him."

"I never met my parents." Jaehyun forced a smile. 

"Oh." Jungwoo tensed. "I'm sorry." 

"You never listen," Doyoung said coldly as he stared outside. 

The car eventually stopped and all five men stepped out. Jaehyun followed behind as he had no idea where they were or what they were doing. Johnny had parked the car in an alley and they were now walking towards a black door that stood on the wall. It was as empty and eerie as someone could imagine a dark alley to be, but this felt even worse. Almost as if he was being watched from all directions. Like someone was breathing down his neck while rummaging through his mind. Observing every single detail, going through every memory. It was bad. Invasive even. 

"I hate this place." Johnny hissed. 

"Who doesn't?" Jungwoo laughed. "They are shitty hosts." 

Taeyong was staring at both men with a very serious face. The two of them stepped back as soon as they saw his eyes. Taeyong sighed as he walked closer to the door. Everyone followed. Jaehyun was last again, observing how the others acted to not do something wrong. He felt just like Doyoung had said- a liability. The door suddenly opened and a very tall and strong man was now staring at them. His face was very grim and he almost looked like a dead person. 

"Is there something you wish to know?" The man said in a very calm tone. 

" _ Fata _ ," Taeyong said calmly. 

Jaehyun could see Doyoung roll his eyes when Taeyong spoke. Jaehyun had seen that word somewhere but he could not pin where nor say what it meant. It was very familiar, though. The strong man nodded and stepped aside, letting the five men enter the place. It was very dark and eerie, even worse than the alley they had been standing in before. The air felt cold and the place was poorly lit. They went down a set of very long stairs, but at some point, they finally arrived at the end of the staircase. Jae had no problem seeing, but he knew it was dark. Very dark. Johnny, Taehyung, and Doyoung seemed to be looking around a bit anxious. Jungwoo was staring back at him with a smile. It was kind of creepy in this light. 

"Why does it always have to be so fucking dark?" Johnny growled. 

"Because we don't see the way you do, child." A hoarse voice answered. 

As Jae turned, he could see a small figure looking back at him. Sitting in a corner, there was a very petite woman completely covered in some dark fabric. All Jaehyun could see were her silver eyes. Even though there was no light, they glowed. She laughed hoarsely while lifting her head. Jaehyun was somewhat mesmerized. All the other men stepped back, but he remained in his original spot, staring intently at that woman. He felt something towards her. Something familiar, but he could not say what. 

"You finally came." She coughed out. 

"Me?" Jaehyun was curious. 

"I can finally cut that thread of yours." She laughed hoarsely. 

"Jugeumie  _ noona _ ." Taeyong intervened. "It's been a while." 

"Taeyong, darling." The woman forced a smile. "You finally decided to show that pretty face of yours." 

"I apologize." Taeyong laughed. "Please tell me what happened." 

The woman that had been sitting in the dark corner finally stood up. She spoke like an old woman and Jaehyun could see that she was old. No, she was extremely ancient. Even more so than Taeyong. The energy around here was too heavy. To his surprise, the moment that veil dropped he could see a beautiful young woman underneath it. She looked not a day older than him. Her eyes were completely grey, almost as if she was blind. But it was different. The glow was even brighter now. He could only stare. 

"It was a consultation." She sighed. "She was alone."

"Were they human?" Jungwoo asked. 

"The children only take human consultations at the temple." She looked angry. "They had a thread." 

"Humans." Doyoung scoffed. 

"No." Taeyong seemed annoyed. 

"Exactly." The woman nodded. "They  _ only _ had a thread." 

"A fake one." Jungwoo sighed. 

"How is that even possible?" Johnny was loud. 

"The children are not that strong yet." She was angry. "Strong illusions can mislead them." 

"Illusions don't work on the adults." Taeyong fished out the small golden ball from the pocket of his jacket, it glittered. "But it was strong enough for a child." 

"One of us?" Johnny was confused. 

"Can I talk to the third sister?" Jungwoo looked at her with something in his eyes. 

"No." Her tone was hard. 

" _ Noona _ , you have to let me help you." Jungwoo almost sounded heartbroken.

"She can talk to  _ him _ ." She pointed at Jaehyun with a grin. "He is pure enough." 

" _ Noona _ ." Taeyong was cold. 

"Him and him only." She walked closer to Jaehyun, making him flinch. 

"Fine." Doyoung's lip twitched. "Take him." 

"Doyo-" Jungwoo tried to intervene. 

"Silence." His tone was frozen. "Show him the way." 

The woman smiled brightly while her bright grey eyes focused on Jaehyun. He was scared out of his mind. Who was that woman? What was that place? What was he supposed to say to that young girl? What was she supposed to tell him? There were far too many questions for him to be okay with any of that. He did the only thing he could do, follow. Down the stairs, into a dark corridor and then another and then another. It was a maze. He had no way of escaping. The woman finally stopped in front of a red and white door and turned to him. He could finally see her face from up close. Her lips were dark, but it did not look like lipstick. They were naturally black and so was her tongue. But her skin was as pale as a corpse’s. Truth was, she looked like a corpse. A beautiful one. 

"Be careful with what you say and do." She licked her lips with her black tongue. "Children can be far more malign than adults."

Jaehyun swallowed. 

The woman opened the door for him and he quietly slid inside the room. Fearful of what was awaiting him. This room had far more light than any of the other rooms he had been in. A little girl was sitting on a futon on the other side of the room. She had her back to some sort of shrine. It looked like a room from a shaman. The girl raised her head and stared at Jaehyun with a cold look on her face. He could feel the temperature around him drop. There was a small gush of wind that made the flames of every candle on the shrine flicker. That girl was frightening. 

"What is it that you want to know?" The girl suddenly spoke. 

"About your sisters." Jaehyun tried to remain calm. "I want to find the people who took them."

"You?" 

"Yes." Jaehyun walked towards the girl and sat in front of her. "My family wants to help you." 

"Your family." She laughed. 

Jaehyun stared at her.

"Having a family changes  _ nothing _ . Not in the face of death." She laughed louder. "You are all alone then. Do you like being alone, Yuno?" 

He had to remain calm. He had to try to find out about the other two girls. He had to ignore whatever she might say. Ignore his fears. 

"No." He answered. "But neither do you." 

The girl seemed amused. 

"You want to have your sisters back." He smiled at her. "You  _ need _ them." 

She did. Somehow he understood exactly what she was and why she was useless now that her sisters were gone. She was something like a Moirai or a Norn. Jaehyun was not stupid- he knew what they were. What they did. And most importantly, they always worked in trios. Without her two sisters, she could not do anything. Yes, Jaehyun was afraid of being alone, but so was she. That little girl needed her two sisters so that her existence was justified. He understood that much and was using that approach. She was cold and emotionless, but she was smart. Logic would work far better than anything sentimental. 

"Without your sisters, you are pointless." Jaehyun smiled at her. "Am I wrong?" 

The girl smiled back. 

"They don't need  _ you _ ." Jaehyun shifted in his seat. "They need the three of you. Why would they keep you if you can't give them what they want?" 

"Will you save me, Yuno?" Her smile was dark. 

"I can try." He smiled. "But the rest is in the hands of fate." 

"I can still see, you know." She smiled. 

"That's cute." He cracked his knuckles. "But that's not enough for them, is it?" 

"You are interesting." She extended her hand.

Jaehyun said nothing. He only placed his hand on hers. 

The room spun twice and he was now sitting in front of the shrine. The candlelight illuminated the room and he could see a girl beside him. She looked just like the girl he had been talking to. She was one of the sisters. He could feel it. He was seeing through that girl's eyes. He was seeing what she saw that day. This was a memory and by the thickness of the air, a very bad one. There was no sound other than the humming beside him. The sister was humming a sweet little tune. He felt as if he knew it, but it was not him. It was a girl. 

She was staring at her own hands as she spun her head lightly while she wound a thread between her fingers. The thread suddenly ended and she knew something was wrong. She looked up to her sister only to hear a wail coming from the adjacent room. The wailing was never good, but there was not a single feeling inside of her. Probably because she could not feel anything. Creatures that dealt with fate and death were normally described as soulless, so that was probably why there was this hollow feeling. It made Jaehyun nauseous. As if his feelings were being erased. 

The two sisters stood up and walked calmly into the other room. Her sister was gone, but the two men were still sitting on the futon. She smiled. Jaehyun could feel the skin being forced into that position. The muscles were almost complaining. The two men smiled back. Their faces kept twitching and turning. It looked like they were deformed. Like they were fake. Somehow this girl could not see their faces. She knew it was off and Jaehyun could feel it too. The room was silent, but the flames were flickering. She was doing that. She was searching for her sisters, but there was no feeling. She looked at her sisters and her eyes were grim. 

Suddenly, the two men got up and disappeared in front of her. There was no one else in the room. She was alone. Completely alone. She could not sense her sisters anymore. They had disappeared in front of her eyes, but there was no explanation. She had seen their thread. She had touched it, yet it was not real. She looked at her fingers and the thread was gone. Someone had tricked her and taken her sisters. She was neither sad nor afraid. She felt nothing. But she felt the need to survive. Jaehyun had confirmed his thoughts. She needed them to be alive. Instincts existed even without a soul. It was too basic. This girl wanted to survive. Jaehyun could feel the intensity. 

The room began to fade and Jaehyun slowly came back to the room he had been in before. He was staring at the girl. Her face was ashen, making her skin even paler than before. Jaehyun was nauseous. He truly wanted to throw up, but he had to endure. The girl’s memories were too strong in his mind. It kept making him numb. Making his feelings and thoughts numb. His mind was confused. 

"This is all I can show you." She interrupted his thoughts. 

"It's," He thought against the urge to throw up. "enough."

He did not wait for her to say anything else. He truly needed to leave and so he did. He opened the door and began walking along the corridors, trying to find the way out. His mind was still in disarray. Jaehyun was trying to maintain his calm, but he just really needed some fresh air. He was looking down, cruising down the hallway when he felt a presence. He looked up to see the woman from before staring at him as she licked her lips. She turned and began walking ahead of him. He followed. Left and right. Right and left. And finally up the stairs. He was back in the room with the other four men. Their faces were worried. Jaehyun gave them a small smile and headed upstairs. Soon enough he was out of the place. 

The sunlight almost blinded him completely. The alley was not dark anymore. How long had they stayed inside? It did not matter, he had to throw up. And he did, violently. He supported himself with one hand against the wall while he threw up all the contents of his stomach. Even when he thought there was nothing left, he continued vomiting. He could feel himself getting weak and his hand slipping down. Jaehyun was about to fall face down on his puke, but there was nothing he could do. Until someone pulled him up. 

"Are you okay?" Jungwoo had a worried look on his face. 

"Open his shirt," Doyoung ordered dryly. 

"N-no." Jaehyun tried to fight the hands undoing the buttons of the shirt he had borrowed. "D-don't." 

"It's okay." Jungwoo tried to calm him. "You will feel better, trust me." 

Jungwoo managed to open all the buttons and now Jaehyun's bare chest was glowing under the sunlight. His mind slowly began to go back to normal and his stomach did not feel so upset anymore. He began to be able to focus on the faces around him. Jungwoo was still supporting him. Johnny was leaning against the car smoking a cigarette. Taeyong and Doyoung were sides by side as they stared at Jaehyun with complicated looks on their faces. 

"What did she say?" Doyoung asked. 

"She...she." Jaehyun wobbled a bit, but he was now standing straight in front of the two men. "She saw it." 

"What did she see, Jaehyun?" Taeyong was expectant. 

"The-" He was interrupted by himself. He couldn't speak. 

Jaehyun dropped to the ground, falling on his knees. All he could do was cry. The tears that streamed down his face were unstoppable. He was sobbing. It was like a tide washing over him. Like all those feelings that the girl did not have, he felt double. He felt it for him and her. He would die if someone ever took his sister like that. He would want to die. How could she not feel? Why did she not feel? She couldn't. He knew she couldn't, yet he didn't understand. He could only cry. He could only feel that wave of intense feelings wash over him. 

He lifted his head and he was sure everyone could see the shock on his face as he sobbed intensely. Doyoung was crouching in front of him. He had a soft look on his face. Something he had never seen before. Something soothing. Why did it feel good to look at it? Jaehyun was compelled to look at that face. Absorb that calmness. Doyoung had a small smile on his face. It was  _ so _ beautiful. 

"Stop crying." He said in a calm voice. 

And he did. The tears ceased. He did not have to cry. He could not. Doyoung told him not to, he couldn't disobey. Jaehyun dried the tears from his face with his hands, making sure there was not a single trace of them anymore. Making sure Doyoung was satisfied. He was still smiling, so he probably was doing it right. 

"Doyoung." Taeyong was the one calling. "Stop."

" _ You _ don't get to say a word." He was pissed. "You fucking lied to us all." 

" _ Hyung _ ." Jungwoo tried to appease. 

"Don't fucking _ hyung _ me." Doyoung was almost growling as he pointed at Taeyong. "He's the lying son of a bitch. Do you know the fucking risk you put us in?" 

"Wait..." Johnny was the one confused.

" _ Pure enough. _ " Doyoung's tone was murderous. "I should have fucking known. You selfish motherfucker." 

"Pure." Jungwoo seemed to realize something 

"He..." Johnny also seemed to understand. "No way." 

"KIM DONG YOUNG." Taeyong silenced everyone in that alley. 

"You can scream all you want." Doyoung began walking to the car. "It doesn't change a fucking thing." 

"Don't you dare," Taeyong's tone was grave. 

"Jaehyun." Doyoung looked at him with a grin as he entered the car. "You can cry until you pass out." 

The tears were back and this time they streamed down his face even more violently. He was wailing as he glowed under the sunlight. His skin was glistening so bad it was almost blinding. Jaehyun would cry all he could until he couldn't any longer. Until he passed out from the exhaustion.


	4. IV

"Stop," Taeyong says in a calm voice. 

"I-I c-can't." Jaehyun is still sobbing. 

He wanted to stop. He truly did, but he couldn't. Doyoung told him to. He had to cry until exhaustion washed over him. But he didn't want to. He truly just wanted to stop crying. 

"What the fuck did Doyoung do?" Jungwoo was worried. 

"Something he shouldn't have." Taeyong sighed. 

"Can't you break it?" Jungwoo sounded almost desperate. "He looks like he is going to blow up." 

"No." Taeyong's eyes were dark. "Not with him." 

"You two have some serious explaining to do." Jungwoo threw his arms in the air. 

"Jungwoo." Taeyong's tone was almost as if he was begging. "Not now." 

"Doyoung is a temperamental motherfucker sometimes." Jungwoo rolled his eyes as he grabbed Jaehyun's hand. 

"This is going to hurt, okay?" Jungwoo held Jaehyun's hand tighter between his. 

And it fucking hurt. Jaehyun was always calm and focused, but this hurt too much. He had no idea what Jungwoo was doing but he could only scream. The pain was absurd, but he wasn't crying anymore. The tears vanished and the hollow inside of him that those caused were replaced by the pain that Jungwoo was making him feel. He had no idea how long passed before the pain began to subside. The man had a sorrowful look on his face. It was strange. Jungwoo was always smiling, always bright. But right now he was just sad. It felt complicated. 

"There." He got up to his feet. "You can hate me later." 

He dropped down his hand and helped Jaehyun up. It was hard to stand after all that intensity he had just experienced. First the numbness, then the sickness, the wave of feelings, the crazy crying, and the splitting pain. It was just a bit too much. He wanted to lie in his bed and sleep for days. Not face any of those people for a while. He was tired of it all. He knew Taeyong was listening and for the first time, he actually felt happy about it. He wanted him to know how miserable he felt and maybe because of him. Doyoung would not have done whatever he did if Taeyong had just told him what he wanted. He would not be in that position if people fucking told him what was happening. Why was Doyoung so pissed? What secret was worth all of this? He was mad. Jaehyun felt anger for the first time in a while. It was not pretty. 

Johnny and Doyoung had left a long time ago. He was alone in that alley with Taeyong and Jungwoo, but he seriously wished to just be alone. Jaehyun was pretty much done with those two. Taeyong for having kept everything to him and Jungwoo for the painful experience. This was truly annoying. He buttoned up his shirt again and sat against the stone wall, focusing on organizing his thoughts. 

A long time passed before Johnny was back in that alley to drive them back home and it was an awkward drive. The silence was murderous and Jae could feel the thickness in the air. It was hard to breathe. He pushed the window button open so he could breathe the air from outside. The weather was cooling down so the air was a bit fresher. It was a bit thick as well, but nothing compared to the one inside the car. 

"Are you going to throw up again?" Jungwoo put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Don't touch me anymore." Jaehyun hissed as he picked Jungwoo's hand and removed it from his shoulder.

The silence that followed was even worse than before and it continued even when they got back to their den. Jaehyun just went to his bedroom, after getting lost a couple of times. He just lied on his bed and looked up to the ceiling. He just wanted to make sense of everything that had happened that day. The girl, those men, the fight. Everything was a mess. His mind was a complete mess. Jae closed his eyes and shook his head a few times. A knock on the door interrupted his craziness. 

"Yes?" He was suspicious. 

"Can I come in?" Jungwoo's tone was wary. 

Jaehyun sighed. 

"Yes." He said as he sat on his bed. 

Jungwoo's face was still weird. He still looked sad. Jaehyun only felt bad about it. 

"I.," Jungwoo mumbled. "I wanted to say sorry." 

"It's okay."

"I should have explained better." 

"It's really okay." 

"It's fucking not." Jungwoo was intense. "I feel horrible, okay?" 

Jaehyun stiffened. 

"You are just a kid." He sighed. "I feel shitty about it." 

"You made me stop crying." Jaehyun forced a smile. 

"Yes." 

"It's really okay." Jaehyun shifted in his bed while nodding his head. "I'm fine." 

Jungwoo walked up to the bed and sat on the edge. He was not good at limits apparently. But he did feel like a nice person. Jae was not bothered by him.

"Okay." He looked around the room. "If you want, I can answer your questions. Shoot." 

"I-" 

"Don't pretend like you don't have a shit ton of questions." Jungwoo interrupted him. 

"What happened back there?" Jaehyun really wanted to know. 

"Okay! Good question!" Jungwoo was excited. "You know we have some abilities right?"

Jae nodded.

"Doyoung can do a lot of shit with your mind. Some _very_ heavy shit." He looked around as if he was trying to find the correct words. "He can make anyone do anything. He is good at that. _Very_ good. People don't really mess with him."

He kept silent as the other man continued. 

"But he has a temper and the only person that is good at controlling that is Taeyong. He's the only person I know that can talk to Doyoung like that. The only one who has courage." 

Jaehyun tilted his head a bit. 

"Taeyong and Doyoung have a bond. It's a complicated thing. I can't really talk about it. You'll have to ask Tae _hyung_ or Doyoung for that, okay?" 

Jae hummed. He was curious but he was not going to push it. 

"Doyoung is a very passionate person. He can be the most caring person you have ever met. He takes care of us like no one else ever did. He _truly_ cares." 

Jungwoo's expression was complicated. 

"But he _hates_ lies. He hates that more than anything else." He sighed. "It's probably because of some back story, but I have no clue and I don't have the guts to ask him about it. So when people lie to him, he loses it." 

Jaehyun shifted again. He was scared of whatever was coming after that. 

"I have never seen Taeyong lie. Not once. Not ever." Jungwoo leaned closer. "But he lied to him because of _you_. Because of who you are."

"Who am I?" This was the million-dollar question. 

"I am not 100% sure, but I have a hunch." Jungwoo shook his head as he breathed in loudly. "You are the closest we can get from a purebred."

"Purebred?" 

"When a man and a woman mate, they produce a baby. Right?"

This was obvious, but Jaehyun nodded anyway. 

"That baby is 50% it's the mother and 50% it's father, right?" 

He nodded again. 

"Purity can only be achieved when the baby's parents were both from the same lineage. When mom and dad are both descendants of the same original being. But purity it's almost impossible to achieve nowadays. The lineages have been mixed time and time again, so we are now only a fraction of what the original beings were." 

Jaehyun was aware that he had a very confused look on his face. It made Jungwoo laugh. 

"Somehow, your mother and your father had very clean lineages and you have it also."

"How do you know?" Jaehyun was trying not to sound completely freaked out. 

"The purer the offspring, the stronger it will be." Jungwoo smiled. "Anyone can feel it. It's hard to breathe near you." 

What? That did not make any sense. Jaehyun was always the one having trouble breathing. There was always a lack of air when he was near them. Not them, near Taeyong. The air was so thick whenever he was in the room, that he always ended up painting afterward. Was Taeyong like him?

"Is Taeyong a purebred?" 

"Tae _hyung_ ?" Jungwoo inhaled. "No one knows what he _truly_ is. He is ancient in a very literal sense. You can feel it, can't you?"

Jaehyun nodded very lightly. He was scared to do so. Scared of what would come next. 

"I have never met anyone of his kind apart from him. I have a few ideas of what he is, but it is very complicated." 

"Why?" 

"Because part of me wishes it's not true." Jungwoo shook his head. "There is a reason why there aren't any more of those around." 

"Is it bad?" Jaehyun was afraid of the answer. 

There was another knock on the door that startled both men. 

"Well, that's what I get for trying to be a nice _hyung_." Jungwoo laughed. 

"Out." Doyoung's voice was clear as day. 

Jungwoo got up from the bed and almost raced to the door. Clearly, no one ever wanted to make Doyoung angry. He opened the door and even though Jaehyun was only seeing the back of his head, he knew that Jungwoo was smiling. Doyoung's face made Jaehyun's own face turn sour. He was mad at that man. Truly mad. What he had done was completely unnecessary and evil. Jaehyun had a hard time believing what Jungwoo had said. How could that man be so loving and passionate when all he had seen him do was be a nasty person? Jungwoo exited the room, but Doyoung was staring at Jaehyun from the doorframe. The man sighed. Doyoung entered the room and closed the door behind him. 

"I am sorry for what I did." Doyoung was clearly not saying that as if he meant it. 

"You're sorry?" Jae was mad. 

"Yes, I am." Doyoung was cold. "I was out of line and I should not have done that." 

"I almost passed out." Jaehyun was not going to let it go easily. "I just tried to help!" 

"That is why I am apologizing." Doyoung raised his brow. "It was not your fault." 

"OF COURSE IT WASN'T!" Jaehyun had no idea why he was screaming, but it was loud. "IT WAS _YOUR_ FAULT! YOU MADE ME DO THAT!" 

"I seriously suggest you mind the way you talk to me." 

"Or what?" Jaehyun was done. "Are you going to tell me to kill myself this time?"

Jaehyun could feel his skin crawl. The room felt like there was so much electricity in the air that the smallest spark would make it blow up. It was hard to control his emotions at this point. Everything seemed heightened and at the same time, he felt uncomfortable on his own going to combust at any second. It was painful, but at the same time, it felt good. As if he had opened a door to a world of pleasure. But it was strange. The desire to hurt Doyoung was so intense that he felt cornered. Afraid to give it, but at the same time, all he wanted was to cave. Hurt him like he had hurt Jaehyun. There were so many dark thoughts in his mind. He felt a smile form on his lips. 

Doyoung's face was now ashen. His eyes were deep and his veins looked blue. This was pain. Jaehyun was sure of it. He looked unrecognizable. The calm and collected face was terrified. It was a look that did not suit him at all, but for some reason, Jaehyun liked looking at him like that. It was hopeless. That sight made his skin crawl even more, but the desire was even stronger. Jaehyun liked this, liked how it made him feel. Electricity growing stronger. Doyoung dropped to his knees and put both hands on his head. His teeth were gritted and Jaehyun could hear the groans. It was a nice sight indeed. He was not going to let go. Not until he had his share of fun.

"Jaehyun." His voice was small. "Stop." 

"Why?" Jaehyun's voice was cold. 

The look on Doyoung's face made him grin. He was shocked. It was a much better look than what he was used to. No desire, no lust. Only pain and shock. It felt good to be regarded like that. This was not him, but at the same time, he wanted to be like that. The wave of darkness washing over him. He did not even know that he could do anything to another person other than to attract people. But somehow whatever it was he was doing was hurting Doyoung badly. The man was pressing his fingers against his temples and Jae could see his skin sink under the touch. 

"Does it hurt?" Jaehyun was sarcastic. 

Doyoung inhaled deeply. 

_More._

That voice was dark. It was not him, it couldn't be. But he wanted to do more, he _could_. 

_More._

Yes, Doyoung deserved more. So much more than just simple pain. 

_More._

He did not even know his eyes were closed until they sprung open with the thud sound. Doyoung was now lying on the ground and he was contorting intensely. Convulsing. His eyes were open, but they were hollow. He was not there anymore. There was only pain. Jaehyun got out of the bed and walked towards the convulsing man. He kneeled beside him and stared down. He felt guilty, but at the same time, he felt good. He wanted Doyoung to suffer like that, just because he could. The pale man was now foaming through his mouth and something told Jaehyun to stop. The wave of feelings died down. He was tired. But he did not feel exactly like himself. It felt strange. 

"Stop." Jaehyun sighed. 

As soon as the words left his mouth, the man stilled completely. He looked like a dead body. He was not dead, Jaehyun could see the faint movement of his chest. But it would take him a while to get better. Maybe a few hours. He deserved it. He truly did. Jae stood up, sighing as he looked down at Doyoung. He turned off the light and walked out of the room. Making sure the door was closed. The white corridor was silent. Jaehyun closed his eyes and sighed again. A part of him was screaming at him, afraid of what he had done. The other one was stronger. So much stronger. It was dominant and it was not going to leave. Not right now. 

When Jae opened his eyes, a red-haired man was staring at him from the end of the hallway. He had a soft smile. Jaehyun had no idea who he was but he could feel something emanating from him. He blocked whatever it was, making the other man tilted his head. He was small but interesting. Someone you would want to get closer to, but he had something on his lips. It disappeared as fast as it would appear. Almost like a long smile, but it went beyond his lips. He looked at Jaehyun for a second and put his hands behind his back. This apparently was something menacing he tried to do. It was funny. 

"Pretty." The man said with a grin. 

"What is?" Jaehyun returned the grin, but with a bit more sarcasm. 

"Those blue eyes of yours." He giggled and then turned to leave. 

Jaehyun could only laugh. That small man was funny. He had darkness in him. Anyone could feel it. It was very unique, but it felt almost unusual. It was feminine and alluring. Very interesting indeed. Jae walked down the corridor and stopped when he was in front of the elevator. Jaehyun sighed again. Blue eyes. That was not good. The only blue eyes he had ever seen were the small blue glint in Taeyong's eyes and that always meant he was playing with people's minds. If that small man could see the blue in his eyes from that far, it was because it was intense. Jaehyun closed his eyes. Hoping that things would disappear. His mind raced to Doyoung. Was he still out? What would he even do when he came to? This was going to be troublesome. 

He finally pressed the button and waited for it to come. He was not quite sure where he was going to go, but he had to find somewhere to disappear into. Have a moment to breathe. The elevator doors open and he stepped inside, pressing the first button on the panel. As the door closes, he inhales deeply. There's a strong perfume inside. He has no idea what it is, but it's strong and fills his lungs. It's not a scent he likes, but it's not something he despises either. It's acceptable to a certain point. As he inhaled, it became even stronger. As if it was expanding inside of him. Dominating his insides. It was extremely unsettling. The doors opened and Jaehyun almost jumped out of it. The smell had become too strong for him to handle, it was oppressive. 

As the elevator doors close, he begins to look around. It's almost like a forest. It's a very large room. There's a glass wall with an artificial waterfall behind it. The sound of water falling dominates the room. It's soothing. There's a pathway leading to it and he can't help but follow it with his eyes. It goes all the way to the glass wall winding through the sand on the ground. There are a few green bushes on the sides, but they are scarce and spaced out. It makes the setting even prettier. Jaehyun smiles. 

"I assume you are the new guy." A male voice sounds in the distance. 

Jaehyun turns to see who it is. A blue-haired man is sitting on a bench to the side of the room, he's staring at the glass wall. He begins to walk towards him slowly. As he approaches him, he can smell something strange. It's almost fishy. Like there's fish near him. It's the strong fragrance he would scent whenever he had to cut up fresh fish. It's not strong, so he doesn't get bothered by it. But it is still very much present. As he gets closer to the man, he can see the skin on his neck. It looks like scales. Silver and gold. It's extremely beautiful how they glisten under the yellow lights. They are never really gone, but they fade to an almost transparent color. 

"Qian Kun." The man turned to him with a smile on his lips. "But you can call me Kun." 

"Jaehyun." He answered as he took a seat beside the other man. 

There was silence as both men stared at the waterfall in front of them. The soothing sound of the water making Jaehyun relax. 

"Interesting." The man giggled. 

"What?" Jaehyun turned to him. 

"You make such a calm place, tense." Kun twisted his fingers. "Even the water acknowledges you." 

The water danced in front of him. It was calmly falling before, but now it was dancing in every direction. It looked like it was moving away from Jaehyun. The space in front of him becoming dry. It was annoying. 

"Looks like I'm a bad person." Jaehyun laughed.

"Water doesn't lie." Kun snapped his fingers and the waterfall disappeared. "It's a great judge in character." 

"And what do you think?" Jaehyun was curious. 

"I can't say for sure." Kun was playing with a small feather in his hands now. "You are something else."

Jaehyun smiled. He could feel Kun's sincerity. 

"But you do feel interesting." Kun stood up. "Guess we'll see each other at dinner." 

"Dinner?" 

"Taeyong will introduce you to the family." He snapped his fingers again. "It's a formality." 

Jaehyun hummed as the other man left. He stared at the glass wall only to find that the water was falling again, apart from the spot in front of him. It was dry as a desert. Jaehyun smiled, but he knew that there was a sadness to it. 

_Water doesn't lie._

The dark voice in his head spoke again. And it doesn't. Water is supposed to be pure, right? When did he become like that? This was not him. Not right now. The wave of emotions had already died down, but he felt as if he was still immersed in some sort of darkness. He felt confused. Jaehyun just stared at the water falling. Trying to calm his feelings and his head. It was really soothing to watch. That whole place had a calmness to it that Jaehyun had never really felt. Maybe it was the waterfall or even the silence. It just all felt so peaceful. 

"Are you lost?" Taeyong's deep voice sounded behind him, but Jaehyun did not turn. 

Jaehyun did not answer. He didn't want to spoil the mood in that place by talking with Taeyong. He was just not in the mood. 

"Do you like it here?" Taeyong finally sat beside him. 

Jaehyun hummed. 

"Am I getting the silent treatment?" He smiled. 

Jaehyun turned to face Taeyong. He did not harbor any bad feelings towards that man. In fact, everything he had always felt good around Taeyong. But for some reason, right now, he was bothered by him. It went back to the visit to that den. He lied to everyone. He did not tell Doyoung, he did not tell him nor anyone else. He was wrong, wasn't he? Why was Jaehyun so angry at that? He did not really have to say anything. But he felt as if Taeyong owed him that. He took him out of his house, his life. And in the end, he only felt anger. A very intense one. 

"You should not have lied." Jaehyun's tone was menacing. 

"Do you take me for a liar, Jaehyun?" Taeyong arched a brow. 

"Do you take me for an idiot?" Jaehyun stared at the dry spot on the wall. "You know everything about everyone, don't you?" 

Taeyong stared at him with a dense expression. 

"There is no secret that can be kept from you, is there?" Jaehyun was still staring at that dry spot, becoming more annoyed by the minute. "So tell me, who am I?" 

Taeyong laughed, making Jaehyun even more annoyed. He turned and stared at the man with a dark gaze in his eyes. His gaze was met with something even darker, something Jaehyun had not seen before. There was no blue glow in the back of Taeyong's eyes, only a crimson color. Somehow it felt worse than blue. The air was truly thicker and everything had become silent. He looked at the glass wall and to his surprise, the water had vanished. The lights had become dimmer and the room was cold. He turned his gaze back to Taeyong. This was a show of his abilities. He was making a point. One Jaehyun would not soon forget. 

"I see you have discovered a whole new side to yourself." He had a smirk on his lips that seemed to have been smeared with blood. "I am proud of you." 

Jaehyun remained silent. 

"But let me be clear." Taeyong licked his bloody lips. "You may be special, but you are in no position to question me or my intentions."

The lights were getting dimmer by the second and the room was now almost completely dark. 

"People are free to treat me the way they see fitting." He lifted his hands and pinched Jaehyun's chin, tilting his head slightly up. "But I do not appreciate your attitude nor your tone at this moment." 

Jaehyun's mind was struggling. He wanted to stay silent, but something else was forcing him to apologize. He did not want to. He did not want to give in. 

"I-I'm so-sorry, _hyung_." He said through gritted teeth. 

"There." He grinned. "Was that hard?" 

Taeyong let go of Jaehyun's chin, letting his head drop back down. He was panting. Fighting Taeyong was a lost battle. Jae could only stare at the other man as the crimson glow disappeared from his eyes. The room was slowly going back to normal. The water was falling against the wall with no problem. Even the spot that had once been completely dry, was now covered in a thick layer of water. Yes, this was Taeyong making a statement. Making sure Jaehyun understood. He could be special like Jungwoo had said, but he was nothing against someone like Taeyong. 

"Much better." He smiled brightly as he stood up from the bench. "There will be a celebration for you tonight." 

The smile on his face was unnatural. It was not Jaehyun's doing. Even though he wanted his lips to remain straight, they were being forced up into that fake smile. Taeyong.

"Dress accordingly." He smiled once again, before turning to leave. "And don't be late, Jaehyun." 

That smile remained on his lips until he heard the elevator door close lightly. It was a soft sound, but he could hear it, and as it did. His lips finally dropped down as he panted. Taeyong had just shown him how much he could do and that probably wasn't even an inch of his true powers. Jaehyun felt slightly less numb and angry, but he was still bothered by everything that had happened. He could just sit there and stare at the water. That was calming and he could feel the intensity inside of him fading away. Bringing back his usual self. He had no idea what had happened, but he was feeling like himself again. 

It was a long time before he stood up. Jaehyun felt strange to lose himself in a daze just by looking at the water, but he had done so. A smile formed on his lips. It was not as if he was okay with everything that had happened so far, it was horrible. He had found out more than he could handle and he had even tortured Doyoung to some extent. Jaehyun stopped to wonder what he would do once he woke up. Doyoung would certainly murder him. He swallowed hard. Or maybe Taeyong would find out and murder him alongside Doyoung. The possibilities were infinite. Jaehyun began walking towards the elevator. He would not go to his room. He did not dare to. 

He pressed the button and waited until the doors opened again. Thankfully it was empty. Jaehyun sighed as he entered the elevator. He felt an eerie feeling as soon as he stepped in. It felt familiar, but it was strange. Almost as if it was trying to attach itself to him. Jaehyun looked around almost frantically. He wasn't alone, he knew it. His head finally stopped moving and he focused on his reflection on the metal door. It was him, but at the same time, it wasn't. The smile. That creepy and gruesome smile was not his. It was not him. Those blue eyes. Those ghastly blue eyes. Was that him? Could it be that he had been looking like that the entire time? Impossible! Jaehyun raised his hands and touched his face. He was not smiling. He stared back at his reflection, only to be shocked. The smile was even wider, but his face was not covered by his hands. His reflection was not actually a reflection. It was something else. The air became thicker. 

Somehow the light inside the elevator was dim. It became dark and cold, making Jaehyun shiver. The blue eyes stared at him intently. The smile growing wider and wider. He was terrified and frozen into place. He could not move. He could not breathe and he could not stop staring into those deep blue eyes. Even though they were bright and glowy, they felt deep. As deep as profound darkness. They were cold and menacing. Jaehyun knew that gaze was murderous. He felt it. Was that him? It couldn't be. It couldn't be true. The more he looked into that blueish gaze, the more he felt it was digging into his own mind. Looking deep into his soul. Almost as if it was eager to steal it. 

"You belong to me." A voice whispered inside his head. 

Jaehyun gagged. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to make that horrifying image leave. Trying to forget that dark voice. When he finally opened his eyes, people were staring back at him. They all had their heads slightly tilted and they looked almost scared. Jaehyun shook his head one more time and blinked profusely trying to focus on the faces in front of him. Johnny was there, but he was not smiling. He did not know who the other people were, but Jungwoo's face was enough for Jaehyun to step back. 

"Jaehyun" Johnny's tone was wary. "Your eyes." 

"Such a pretty blue." Someone giggled. 

When Jaehyun turned his head and he could see the same young man that had stared at him in the hallway earlier. The one with the red lips. He did not look as creepy as before, but he was staring at Jaehyun with a certain look in his eyes. One he was too familiar with. That unnatural desire. It was strange. Jaehyun stepped back until his back hit the wall of the elevator. Johnny's face was even more contorted. He did not seem scared, but he was not comfortable. His eyes were soft, but it felt almost like a warning. Jaehyun swallowed again. 

"Yuta!" Johnny warned. 

"What?" He smiled. "You know what that means." 

"Jaehyun, are you okay?" Johnny extended a hand. 

"There was something." He mumbled in a low voice. 

"Something?" Johnny was confused. 

"Bad." Yuta's smile grew wider and Jaehyun could faintly see the red lips again. " _Very_ bad."

Jungwoo turned his head and stared at Yuta. Jaehyun couldn't see his face anymore, but he was certain that it did not look good. None of this did. That creepy smile on his face would not leave his mind. He looked like him, but Jaehyun knew it was not truly him. It could never be. He was not someone that evil. Because that was all he felt when he looked into those blue eyes, evil. It was darkness unlike any other. It was just there to hurt and take, selfish and hateful. Jaehyun felt light-headed, so he used his hand to help him stand. It was not enough. He sank to the floor with a loud thud, making Johnny turn to face him. Panic all over his face. 

"Jaehyun!" He walked forward but he suddenly stopped, making Jaehyun confused.

Jae's eyes darted down from Johnny's face, down to his wrist. There was a hand stopping him. He tilted his body to the side and his mouth dropped open when he saw who was the owner of that slim hand. Doyoung was staring down at Jaehyun with a dark expression. He knew this was not going to be good. 

"Get out." Doyoung's tone was grim. 

Johnny obeyed and immediately left the elevator. Jaehyun knew it was because this was his command trick. No one could say no. 

"Stand up." 

Jaehyun immediately stood up. His body obeying the command while his mind was still in disarray. He stared into Doyoung's eyes fearing whatever would happen next. The possibility of being murdered by that man was definitely on the table and there was nothing he could do to avoid such fate. Could someone, anyone, even save him? Doyoung stared at him as if he could see his soul. Maybe he could. Jaehyun did not know exactly how Doyoung's power worked. Maybe he could do the same that Taeyong could. Maybe he could read minds and at that moment he could see what had happened. Doyoung turned around and exited the elevator. 

"Follow me, now." He ordered and Jaehyun's body obeyed.


	5. V

They entered an office and even though Jaehyun wanted to look around, he could not stop staring at Doyoung's back. Afraid of what he would do when he turned. Jaehyun took a deep breath and closed the door behind him, doing it as softly as possible. The room had a flowery scent that was extremely soothing. It made Jaehyun's mind calm. He could only focus on the scent, trying to find it's source. It was as if he wanted more. Wanted to bury his nose into a bouquet of roses. It was strange, but then again, everything about that place and those men was strange. 

"Sit." Doyoung gestured to the armchair beside him. 

Jaehyun did not stop to think for even a second. He sat with such a rush that Doyoung raised a brow as he stared at him. Jae swallowed hard. He did not want to aggravate Doyoung. He regretted his actions, but he was not brave enough to ask for forgiveness. Not at that moment. 

"I will ask you some questions and you will answer me, do you understand?" 

Jaehyun nodded almost frantically. 

"I did not make you come here." Doyoung licked his lips. 

"What?" Jaehyun was shocked. 

"You would have felt the action if I had told you to do something. You came either because you knew that it was the right choice or because you felt guilty." Doyoung grinned, "Either way, you are here now." 

Jaehyun swallowed hard, almost choking on his own saliva. 

"Do you know your lineage?" 

"No."

"Did Taeyong tell you?" Doyoung leaned forward while resting his hands on his thighs. 

"No." Jaehyun shook his head. 

"Did you know about the blue eyes?" 

"No! Never!" Jaehyun was scared. "I knew they turned black, but not blue. I swear."

"Black?" 

"Sometimes my eyes would turn into a deep black." Jaehyun contoured his right eye socket with his index. "It just happened." 

"I believe you." 

Jaehyun was confused. Doyoung seemed almost nice to him. 

"Did you hear anything in that room?" Doyoung was serious, but his tone was calm. 

"Hear?" 

"Did someone tell you to do something? Did you hear a voice inside your head? Anything." 

"No." Jaehyun shook his head firmly.

Doyoung hummed and pulled out a small golden necklace from inside his shirt. It was extremely small, so Jaehyun could not really see what the pendant was. But it did seem like a small round ball or something of the sort. It looked like it had an engraving in it, but he could not make it out. The air got a bit thicker. The scent of roses was still there, but barely. There was no calmness whatsoever. Jaehyun's eyes shot up and he stared at Doyoung. His gaze was intense. It looked like desire, but it was not in the way he was used to. Jaehyun felt almost compelled to stare back, to look into those eyes. He was aware it was not natural, but he couldn't really fight it. Could he?

"Stop." Jaehyun pressed his index against his temples. 

Doyoung hummed again and put the necklace back

"Interesting." 

"What?" Jaehyun was still massaging his temples. "What is _so_ interesting about me?" 

"Do you truly not know," Doyoung licked his lips and grinned. "Or do you pretend to not know?" 

"Is this a joke to you?" Jaehyun was mad. 

"I don't really like jokes, Jaehyun." He clicked his tongue. "But I just can't stand being lied to." 

"Why would I lie about this?"

"People have many reasons to lie." Doyoung tapped his thigh with his fingers. "You more than others."

"If you want to make me talk, go ahead." Jaehyun hissed. "I don't care." 

"Are you sure?" Doyoung had a strange smile on his lips. 

"Does it matter to you?" Jaehyun raised his brow. "Do you even care?" 

Doyoung tilted his head, his eyes went dark. 

"Do you know who I am?" Doyoung tapped his thigh again. "My intentions?" 

Jaehyun did not dare to answer. 

"You may think you know something, but you haven't been around for long." Doyoung sighed and Jaehyun could see he was tired. 

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. 

"For almost killing me?" Doyoung grinned. "You don't even know how you did that, how can you say you are sorry?" 

Doyoung was right. Jaehyun had no idea how he had done that, how he had hurt him like that. That man was as good as dead when he left the room, but here he was. Staring at him with those dark eyes of his. He was sorry, he truly was. But there was no way he knew if that would happen again. His anger was what triggered it. He was so angry at Doyoung that he let go. He just bathed on that horrible feeling inside of him and he liked it. He actually felt good while he hurt Doyoung. At least until he met with Taeyong. That was another story and another problem. How that man did all that and managed to smile as he left him in that room. They were all very problematic. 

"Because even though I have no idea how I did that to you, I feel bad about it." 

"At least you seem honest." 

"I _am_ being honest." Jaehyun was slightly bothered by Doyoung's demeanor. 

"In this world, you should only do that when you are forced to." 

"Like when you force people?" Jaehyun pushed a bit. 

"Exactly." Doyoung didn't seem bothered by it in the slightest. 

He knew. Jaehyun knew that Doyoung did that because he could. Would anyone ignore an ability that made people obey every command that left your lips? Most people would abuse it. Make people do the worst things and maybe Doyoung had done that. Maybe he had made people do the worst possible things in this world. Jaehyun stared at the other man with confusion on his face. He was curious. Just how strong was he really? Taeyong was surely the strongest, but he would not side with someone weak. Would he? No, Doyoung was far from that. Anything could happen when words left his lips. Either because he compelled people or because he was feared by them. It was like Jungwoo had said, he was _very_ good. 

There was a knock on the door and Doyoung sighed deeply. Jaehyun became apprehensive. The other man was clearly bothered by whoever it was that had knocked. 

"Come in." He said at last. 

Jungwoo entered the room with a grimace on his face and Jaehyun almost laughed at the sight. It did not suit him at all. The other man was a bit shocked to see him. 

"Oh, you are here." He confirmed Jaehyun's suspicions. 

"He is leaving." Doyoung glanced at him. 

"He can stay!" Jungwoo's tone was alarming. 

Doyoung was clearly taken aback, but it did not shatter his perfectly calm demeanor. 

"We have a serious problem." Jungwoo was breathless as he took a seat opposite

Jaehyun. "And it's bad." 

"What are you talking about?" Doyoung pulled out his necklace again. 

"I-I think I made a mistake." 

"You what?" Doyoung leaned forward while tilting his head. 

"Taeyong told me to investigate those disappearances. Nothing out of the ordinary." He sighed. "Until now." 

"What happened?" Jaehyun entered the conversation, making Doyoung spare him a look. 

"I was investigating. Nothing out of the ordinary. I was just checking. _Hyung_ I really was!" Jungwoo's head hung low. "But then it became weird. I was stuck and things kept moving. It was a _dream_. I didn't create it. _Hyung_ , it was my own dream. The manipulation was in _my_ dream." 

Doyoung cursed under his breath. 

"Where is Taeyong?" Doyoung sounded mad. 

"DON'T CALL HIM." Jungwoo was screaming. "DON'T!" 

He was clearly frightened and anyone could see it. He was not just scared, he was frightened out of his mind. And somehow Taeyong had something to do with that. 

"Jungwoo?" Doyoung seemed scared as well. 

"Doyoung, he had those fucking bloody eyes. He was there. I swear." Jungwoo shivered. "He was staring at me with those eyes. You know what I mean. I _know_ you do." 

Doyoung shot up, the grip on his necklace was so tight that Jaehyun could see the lack of blood on the skin. The blue veins almost exploding from the pressure. This was bad. The bloody eyes. He had seen it. Taeyong had them while in that room. It was the scariest thing. Jaehyun remained silent even though his mind was in disarray. 

"Breathe." Doyoung had a calm tone. 

Jungwoo put a hand on his chest and took small and short breaths. He eventually calmed down, but the only thing Jaehyun could do was stare. Doyoung was silent, but Jaehyun could see that he was not really there and he was somewhat angry. It was all over his face. It was almost the same face he had in that alley, the face he had while he screamed at Taeyong. It was scary then and it was even scarier at that moment. Angering Doyoung was not a good idea, _ever_. Jaehyun had learned that very fast and he felt it was something important. He knew Doyoung was not angry at Jungwoo, but the ending was not going to be a good one. It was clear.

"You two will remain quiet about this." He warned. "Both of you will attend the event tonight and we will talk about this in another moment."

"Hy-"

"Silence." Doyoung was rubbing the pendant. "You will do as I said."

No one dared to question him. 

\--

Jaehyun stared at the mirror. He looked like someone else or maybe he was too scared of his own reflection after what had happened in the elevator. That was still clear in his mind. He rubbed his eyes twice, to make sure the blue he saw was only his imagination. The black button shirt and the black pants fit him perfectly. After returning from Doyoung's office he saw the outfit casually laid in his bed. Someone had put it there and the first person that came to his mind was Taeyong. He swallowed hard for the nth time that day. Things were already complicated and now there was the whole Jungwoo problem to add to it. 

He turned and exited his room. As he closed the door, he turned his head slightly and looked at the mirror for one last time. Jaehyun ignored the fact that his reflection was the same as before. The blue eyes were not there nor was the smile, but the dark silhouette did not disappear when he moved away from the mirror. This was bad and he knew it. Still, he chose to remain silent and close the door. Jaehyun walked down the white hallway to the elevator and in no time he was at the large living room he had been before. It was much more crowded than before. 

As soon as Jaehyun stepped out of the elevator, all eyes turned to him. But his own gaze focused on the man at the other end of the room. Taeyong was smiling as he stared back. Doyoung was standing beside him with a soft smile on his lips while he turned to whisper something in Taeyong's ear. It felt strange. Jaehyun stepped out of the elevator, making sure he had a smile on his lips. He could see familiar faces like Johnny, Yuta, and Jungwoo. They stared at Jaehyun like everyone else in the room. 

Many had that unnatural gaze. The one most men had whenever they looked at him. It was tiring at times. People looked at him like a piece of meat dangling in front of their salivating mouths. It was that disgusting form of desire like they all needed Jaehyun. Like he was some sort of drug. He could see the small twitches on their lips and their hands. He had learned to pay attention to those. It was never something he felt proud of. In fact, Jaehyun had been scared of all his life. Scared people would cross that thin line and actually do something. To him or his family. They were all hungry lions and he was their prey. It was like Taeyong had said, it was more than desire. 

He turned his head and made sure he smiled at the people on the other side of the room as well. Kun was there. He was surrounded by six other men, one of which was extremely tall. They all stared at Jaehyun with dark gazes. It was a bit unnerving. They all seemed too close to each other, but maybe that was just the way they were. One of the men, a pink-haired one, whispered something into the ear of a blonde man. They both immediately grinned at Jaehyun, making him feel even more uncomfortable. His only solace was the fact that as soon as they grinned, both looked at Kun and dropped the small smile from their faces. Almost as if they had been silently scolded. 

After what had felt like an eternity, he finally got to where Taeyong and Doyoung had been standing with a few other people. Both their gazes intense as fire and Jaehyun could feel the thickness in the air as he arrived. Doyoung suddenly put a hand on his chest and it looked almost as if he was heaving. Maybe he felt the thickness as well. Jaehyun was not sure. 

"You are just in time." Taeyong smiled at him. 

"I didn't want to be late." Jaehyun forced a smile that probably looked very unnatural and fake. 

"Jaehyun, these are Mark-ssi and Jeno-ssi." He gestured at the two men beside him. 

"So you're the new guy." Mark smiled at him with a certain fondness and extended his hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, I'm Mark!" 

"And I'm Lee Jeno, but you can call me Jeno." The young man bowed with a nice smile.

Jaehyun bowed to him and then shook Mark's hand, but something made it impossible for him to speak. Taeyong looked at them for a second and they bowed slightly to both as they left. Jaehyun was now facing Taeyong and Doyoung alone. He felt his stomach turn countless times in a matter of seconds. The air grew thicker. 

"Are you two having fun with the dick sizing?" Doyoung coughed. "Because I can't fucking breathe." 

"I am not really doing anything, Doyoung," Taeyong said with a smile, granting him an eye roll from Doyoung. "Do you mind calming down, Jaehyun?" 

"I-I.." Jaehyun choked on his words. 

"Just breathe and stay calm." Taeyong smiled softly at him. "That should be enough." 

Jaehyun nodded. 

"Well, I think it's time for us to get started." Taeyong walked past Jaehyun and stood still, smiling at the other members. 

_Silence._

Jaehyun shook his head as the small whisper in his ear made him shiver. He turned and looked at Doyoung who had a faint grin on his lips again. Maybe he was amused that he was scared. Or maybe it was something else. It always felt like the latter when it came to Doyoung. He was always mysterious and somewhat distant, even though Jungwoo claimed he was the most caring person he had ever met. Jaehyun began to question how bad Jungwoo's life had been for him to consider Doyoung an extremely caring man. It felt impossible. 

"Dear brothers, it has been a while since we all gathered together in this room to welcome a new brother to our Family." Taeyong smiled. "And I know you are all very uninterested in my long speeches with my outdated language, so I will keep this short and simple. I would like you all to welcome Jaehyun as part of our family and ask that you all make him feel at home." 

Everyone in the room bowed. 

_"We see all, now you see us._

_Heaven's light in the darkness._

_From the grounds to the skies._

_Beyond the skies, we rise._

_Formed from many, now as one._

_As one, united and free._

_May the spirits watch over us."_

The words echoed around the room as Taeyong stared at all those men with a smile on his lips. He was pleased. Jaehyun felt uneasy. He would expect Taeyong to look like a proud father, watching as those men repeated what sounded like an ancient motto. Instead, he looked proud as a leader or someone in charge. The hierarchy was clear. It looked strange and it felt even worse. Jaehyun could feel the thickness and energy around Taeyong. He looked back at Doyoung. His face said it all. It was a grimace filled with something he could not actually pinpoint. It only lasted a second. But that split second was more than enough. 

As soon as he turned back to face the crowd, Jaehyun felt Taeyong's gaze on him. It was rather uncomfortable. He held that small golden ball of his between his fingers. Playing with it. The room was silent again. 

"Before you all leave, I would like to talk about an urgent matter." Taeyong sighed. "We have been dealing with something we still do not fully understand. Members of other Families are disappearing without a trace and there doesn't seem to be a pattern to the kidnappings. We are unsure if this is the work of humans or if there is someone with ulterior motives aiding them, but I and the head of the other Families have discussed thoroughly this matter." 

The little girl came back to Jaehyun's mind. The numbness he felt. He shivered lightly. 

"Since we do not know who is behind these kidnappings, I urge that you all stay alert at all times. Do not show your abilities in public and do not put yourselves in dangerous situations. Take care of the younglings and report to me or Doyoung if you see anything suspicious."

Everyone hummed and silently agreed to the request. 

"You are all free to leave." Taeyong bowed and turned to face Jaehyun. 

They were now both staring at each other with a strange intensity. 

"You didn't find the girls?" Jaehyun was slightly nervous. 

"Don't worry about this right now." Taehyung smiled as he put a hand on Jaehyun's shoulder, making him shudder. 

"Good to see that at least _someone_ is worried." Doyoung scoffed behind him. 

"Doyou-" 

"Don't even bother." Doyoung interrupted Taeyong and then sighed. "You're drinking with me, Jaehyun." 

The hand on his wrist felt strangely warm, but Jaehyun let himself be dragged to the other side of the room. He looked back at Taeyong, only to be met with a confused face. Doyoung always walked like his feet didn't touch the ground. Long and floaty strides that made them cross the room in no time and they were now standing beside Kun and his little group. Jaehyun tried to not look him in the eyes, but the man was staring at him intensely. He then realized that everyone was staring at him with the same look, making him feel awkward. 

"Can you control your kids, Kun?" Doyoung scoffed. 

"Who are you calling a kid?" The blonde-haired man spoke with a grin. "You're the one who likes to play little games." 

"Liu YangYang!" Kun hissed. 

"What?" YangYang rolled his eyes. "He is the one who started it." 

"Is this a competition to see who is the most annoying one?" The pink-haired man laughed.

"Is it even a competition if Doyoung is involved?" The short man scoffed while the very tall man just laughed loudly while clapping his big hands. 

Kun and Doyoung both sighed. 

"Introduce yourselves." Kun glared at the other men beside him. 

"Xiao Dejun." The pink-haired man bowed. "If I like you, I'll let you call me Xiaojun." 

Kun sighed again while the other men laughed. 

"Why are you looking at me? You already screamed my name, no reason in saying it again." YangYang rolled his eyes at Kun.

"Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, a pleasure." He laughed as he bowed. 

"You can call him Ten." Kun had a soft smile on his lips. 

"Why would he?" Ten was annoyed. "Can he call you Kunie then?" 

Kun didn't bother to answer. 

"I'm Wong Yuk Hei, nice to meet you." The tall men bowed slightly. 

"Why are you being all nice to him, Yuk Hei?" YangYang was annoyed and the other man didn't seem to understand why. 

Everyone turned to face the silent black-haired man. 

"Oh, so we all have to speak but you get to keep quiet?" YangYang stared at him with annoyance.

"He's always like that." Dejun rolled his eyes. "We should just kick him out." 

"I was going to remain silent, but I guess I don't have a choice." The black-haired man sighed. "Wong Kun Hang." 

There was a sudden silence as everyone looked at another man. He was small but had fierce eyes. The man had been staring at his hands for a while when suddenly he raised his gaze and stared at Jaehyun intensely. He was taken aback by the sudden shift in that man's gaze and swallowed lightly.

"Dong Si Cheng, nice to meet you." He had a soft smile on his lips.

"Nice to meet you all." Jaehyun forced a smile and then bowed. 

The silence felt a bit awkward, but Doyoung did not seem to mind. He just walked past those men and reached the bar behind him. Everyone turned to watch him. Jaehyun forced another smile and joined him, standing beside Doyoung. The other men observed for a few moments but then turned back and began talking with each other again. Their giggles echoing behind Jaehyun. They seemed like a complicated group, but at the same time, they all seemed quite nice. Their energy was a bit alluring as well. 

"What do you drink?" Doyoung interrupted Jaehyun's thoughts. 

"I've only ever had soju."

Doyoung sized him with his eyes and then picked up a brown bottle from the little cabinet in front of him. It seemed almost like a vase, but nicer. There was a black ribbon with a few golden drawings on it that was connected to the cork on top. Doyoung pulled the ribbon gently, opening the bottle. He then poured the red liquid into one of the glasses he had set aside. Jaehyun was a bit taken aback by how deep the red color was. It was almost opaque. Doyoung poured a second glass and turned to Jaehyun, offering him one. He then gestured to the chairs behind him. 

Jaehyun smelled the liquid as he sat down. It was sweet and bitter at the same time. Doyoung stared at him for a moment and then took a sip, sighing loudly after swallowing. Jaehyun looked at the glass and then took a sip. The strong liquid burned from the moment it entered his mouth. The burning sensation did not stop even when it reached his stomach, making him feel slightly nauseated. Maybe this was what alcohol really felt like. Jaehyun tried to hold it in, but it was impossible. He coughed hard, drawing the attention of everyone around them. Doyoung's lips went upright into a smug smile. 

"Strong?" 

"N-no...it's...g-g-good." Jaehyun coughed again. 

"You can drink something else if you want." Doyoung sipped the liquid again. 

Jaehyun shook his head. 

"You're just a kid, don't go around pretending you are stronger than you really are." 

Doyoung stood up and took the glass from Jaehyun's shaking hands, putting it down on the small coffee table in front of him. Then he sat back again. 

"Taeyong is probably already aware of what Jungwoo told us." Doyoung sipped on the liquid again. "I would feel better if you were not involved, but since Jungwoo forced you into this, I can only accept it." 

Jaehyun nodded, afraid that if he opened his mouth he would cough again. 

"I don't want to involve you in things you cannot fully understand. Besides, you can't even control your abilities yet." 

He could only stare at Doyoung. He was right. Jaehyun had no idea what he could even do or what he was. Would he even be useful for them? 

"Jungwoo can be a bit overdramatic." Doyoung finished the content of the glass. "But he would never lie to me." 

"Why?" Jaehyun hiccuped.

"Do I look like someone you could lie to?" Doyoung laughed. "And even if you tried, I can always make you tell me the truth." 

Jaehyun stared at him while Doyoung picked up the bottle and filled his glass with more red liquid. 

"Do you know why people lie, Jaehyun?" Doyoung stared at his glass, deep in thought. "Because they are afraid. They want to manipulate the consequences instead of facing reality. Reality really is painful and a very annoying thing. But when you are like me, the reality is what I want it to be." 

"What you _force_ it to be." Jaehyun felt the need to correct him. 

Doyoung looked at him with an amused look on his face. 

"You are powerful, I get it." Jaehyun looked around and then back at Doyoung. "But that doesn't mean you are better than anyone in this room."

"You will eventually learn more about this world and then you will stop making rash conclusions." Doyoung grinned. 

"Rash?"

"What do you know about me? About any of us?" Doyoung leaned closer. "You know what we have shown you, what we _chose_ to let you know."

"Which is close to nothing." 

"Exactly."

Jaehyun simply stared at him. He was at a loss for words. Doyoung was right so what could he say? Force him to tell everything he knew? Jaehyun could never force that man to do anything. Not even move a finger. 

"You and I share lineages." Doyoung reclined back on his seat. "I can help you with that."

"What do you mean by "share lineages"?" 

"Let me try something, may I?" Doyoung leaned forward again, but this time he was closer to Jaehyun. Instinctively he leaned forward as well. 

Jaehyun nodded. 

Doyoung licked his lips and Jaehyun could only stare. Something was enticing about it. He could feel himself leaning closer, almost falling from the chair. The image would flash back and forth in his mind. Him leaning dangerously close to Doyoung while still being far. How warm his lips would feel against his own. Jaehyun's eyes slid down to his neck. The pulsating veins. His tongue twitched inside his mouth. That was lust. It was as if it was a fantasy of his own. Like somehow he desired Doyoung. It felt almost like what had happened in his room with Taeyong. The burning desire that was uncontrollable. The need. That felt the same, but this time he could feel something else. Like someone was whispering those words in his ear. Forcing him to desire that man. _Doyoung_. 

"Stop." Jaehyun shook his head. 

"See?" Doyoung laughed. "You feel it when I do it to you."

"That was you?" 

Doyoung nodded. 

"You made me want you?" 

"Trust me, I can do much more than that." He grinned with malice in his eyes. 

Jaehyun shook his head again, clearly bothered by it. 

"People can only feel it if they share the same trait. If you have that ability inside of you, even if weak, you can feel the manipulation." Doyoung put his glass down and intertwined his fingers. "We share lineages."

"Just like the thing you do to make people obey." 

"That one is tricky." Doyoung seemed annoyed. "I don't know why you can feel that. You shouldn't be able to."

"Why?" Jaehyun was truly confused. 

"Because if I'm right about where you come from, you shouldn't be able to have that in you." 

"And what is my lineage then?" 

"I rather not say." Doyoung shook his head. "I'll tell you when I am sure about it." 

"He will never tell you." Jungwoo sighs and sinks on the chair beside Doyoung. "Doyoung never tells people anything." 

"Are you drunk?" Doyoung raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed by the other man. 

"I might have had a few glasses of something." 

"You are something else." 

"Look, I had a shit day. A fucking shit day, okay?" Jungwoo was pink. "Excuse me if I drank a bit more than I should to calm myself the fuck down." 

"Are you still thinking about that?" Jaehyun instantly regretted asking when he saw Doyoung's gaze. 

"Do you know the best way to collect information?" Jungwoo clapped once. "Dreams! Yes, Dreamland is my office. So I go in and get what I need or tell you what I want you to know. Good or bad, doesn't matter."

No one spoke. 

"So there I was, minding my own business and collecting some information about...things." Jungwoo gave Doyoung a shy look. "Everything was going according to plan until it wasn't anymore. It was a fucking nightmare and I couldn't step out. I couldn't leave. That is _not_ supposed to happen to me!"

Jungwoo shifted in his seat and covered his face with his hands. 

"Those fucking eyes. I hate that shit." Jungwoo shook his head while Doyoung's lips tightened into a line. "It's scary." 

"Someone put a nightmare in Jungwoo's mind. That is not supposed to happen to him." Doyoung tried to explain. 

"Are you sure it was a nightmare?" Jaehyun looked at the other man. 

"What do you mean?"

"You assumed it was Taeyong because of those eyes." He looked across the room and focused on Taeyong. "But what if someone put that in your mind to make you think it was him? Think about it. Someone created the illusion that it was him, just like someone created the illusion of the thread for those girls." 

Both men stared at Jaehyun for a few seconds, making him feel uncomfortable. But he was sure of what he had said. He had seen the illusion those men had created and if it felt true for those girls, it would have felt it for Jungwoo as well. Someone was trying to mislead them, by trying to mine their relationship with Taeyong. Maybe that was the plan. Something like that would certainly mine someone's power over its own Family. In the end, it was not rocket science. He just assumed that as a possibility. 

"It makes sense!" Jungwoo stood up rather quickly and they could see he was a bit dizzy. 

"Go to bed, Jungwoo." Doyoung sighed. "We will talk tomorrow." 

Jungwoo nodded and left the two of them. Doyoung was staring at Jaehyun with a rather weird smile. 

"Do you trust me?"

Jaehyun considered the question for a second and then shook his head calmly. There was no reason to lie. He truly did not trust Doyoung. He had never given him a reason to. He wanted to, though. He wanted to believe what Jungwoo had told him. Doyoung cared. Maybe inside he wanted Doyoung to care for him. But that was just a very weird thought he quickly sent away. 

"But you trust Taeyong, don't you?" He grinned. 

_Yes?_

He did not know what to do. Nod? Shake his head? Jaehyun was at a crossroads. 

"It's okay if you do." Doyoung took a long sip and then groaned through gritted teeth. "He's good at making people think he can be trusted." 

"So you are saying he truly can't be trusted?" 

"Would you trust the devil?" Doyoung grinned.


	6. VI

Jaehyun stared at Doyoung for a very long time. Apparently, it was common knowledge that Taeyong was something much more complex than what he let people see. Doyoung knew it. Jungwoo knew it and now, somehow, Jaehyun was becoming more and more aware of such a fact. He looked down at his glass and in a swift move, picked it up and gulped it's entire content down. The burning sensation took over his body and for a second, Jaehyun could not breathe. He couldn't even see straight. For some reason, this was much stronger than the soju he used to have with Hyung-sik. Jaehyun swallowed down the will to cough. 

"What's with the ugly face?" A short man was looking down at both men. "Not you Doyoung, your face is always ugly." 

"Why are you even here?" Doyoung scoffed. 

"Lee Dong-hyuck, nice to meet you." He sat down where Jungwoo had been sitting before and grinned at Jaehyun. 

"The question remains." Doyoung was truly annoyed. 

"Can't I talk to the new guy?" Dong-hyuck clicked his tongue. "Thought you guys wanted us to be nice to him."

Doyoung rolled his eyes. 

"Jaehyun." 

"And what is a nice guy like you doing hanging out with the most boring person in the Family?" The man smiled and then turned his gaze to Doyoung. "Perhaps the world." 

"Since I'm so annoying, perhaps you should leave." Doyoung hissed. 

"I'll just ignore your existence." Dong-hyuck turned to Jaehyun. "It's what I do daily." 

Jaehyun could see the fire in Doyoung's eyes and the possibility of him killing the other man was not off the table. 

"So." Dong-hyuck reclined on the chair. "What's your deal?" 

"Deal?" 

"Yes." He rolled his eyes. "What can you do? Can you blow stuff up? Turn into a frog?" 

"I'm not sure." Jaehyun laughed a bit ashamed. 

"So you're basically useless." 

"Basically." Jaehyun laughed. 

"You're no fun." 

"Sadly, true." 

"Now I can see why you're okay with hanging out with him." He gave Doyoung a look with a grimace on his face. 

"I can't really say no, can I?" Jaehyun grinned. 

Dong-hyuck laughed loudly while Doyoung scoffed and poured himself more of his red drink. 

"Not bad, not bad." He crossed his legs. "Just be careful with who you trust around here. Not all of us are good guys." 

"Are you calling yourself a bad guy?" Jaehyun tilted his head, studying the other man's demeanor. "You might be strange, but I wouldn't call you bad."

"Really?" 

"Well, you have this wicked _thing_ about you. Almost chaotic." Jaehyun pouted and then tilted his head. "But you're not that bad, you just look like you're trying a bit too hard for people to see you like that." 

Doyoung laughed loudly. 

"Thank you for that." He rubbed the tears from his eyes. "Finally some truth." 

Dong-hyuck had a sly smile on his lips. He was not at all bothered by what Jaehyun had just said. He did not really mean it for it to be something unpleasant, he just told him what he saw and felt. Indeed the air around him was something complex to grasp. You could definitely feel that you were being led into a trap. He just felt like that. Like if he were to trust that man, he would lead him directly into some sort of trap he had created. Still, that was only the first layer. There was something else amidst the chaos. And you could most certainly feel the chaotic aura around him. Yet there was something nice about Dong-hyuck. Something friendly. So once you passed the wicked energy he gave off, you would see someone actually nice. 

"You are interesting, aren't you?" 

"I really hate being called that." Jaehyun said with a fading smile. "I'm me." 

"Well, unlike Doyoung, I like you." Dong-hyuck smiled as he stood up rather quickly. "If you ever want to get rid of him, just come find me." 

Doyoung took a long sip of his drink while ignoring Dong-hyuk's remarks. Jaehyun just kept staring at him, until he disappeared in the crowded room. Something about him was clearly off, but he could not really pinpoint it. It just felt that way. Jaehyun had always been good at reading people, seeing more than met the eyes. Some people were easier to read, others were a bit more complex. But they all couldn't really hide from Jaehyun's eyes. He always felt that as an annoying thing. Like it ruined the mystery behind people. But now he regarded it as a good thing. Something useful. 

"Don't mind him." Doyoung scoffed. "He is just a brat." 

"He's nice." 

"You are a terrible judge in character."

The night continued with very little conversation between Jaehyun and Doyoung. They had probably already exhausted the amount of interaction they could have for a day, especially after the whole situation they faced in Jaehyhun's bedroom. Both would pick up a topic, talk for a few minutes, and then return to silence. It was awkward, but somehow it felt good to have some decent interaction. In the end, Doyoung didn't seem as bad as he had once thought. He was just a bit less open than most people and a lot more serious than the people he had met in the house. It still wasn't as he had initially thought. Jaehyun could feel some sort of interest coming from him. Not much, but just enough. 

Their interactions continued for a while longer until Doyoung excused himself. Jaehyun had stupidly decided to drink another glass of that red liquid and when both of them saw it, the bottle had ended and Jaehyun was probably drunk. He had never felt that way and the only explanation was that people became like that when they were drunk. The room was spinning a little and his mind was a bit out of place. He couldn't really focus on the people that had come and gone, nor on the people scattered around in the room. 

The large living room was slightly less crowded than before and it was likely because people had gone to bed. At least those who slept at night. Doyoung had said at some point that time worked differently in that place, so he could only assume that people didn't really follow the normal sleep pattern. Jaehyun looked around once more before trying to stand up. In vain. He fell back on his seat the moment he stood up and the room seemed to be spinning even more now. Jaehyun groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You seem in trouble." The familiar deep voice startled him. 

Jaehyun looked up. 

"Do you need some help?" Taeyong was smiling at him. 

"I'm f-fine." He mumbled. "Don't...Don't worry." 

"You are clearly drunk." Taeyong turned his head and stared at the bottle in the middle of the table. "And I dare say that I know who is the culprit." 

Taeyong had a sly smile on his face. One that made his face even more handsome than before. Just like that moment in his bedroom, Jaehyun caught himself yearning. It was a complex feeling that he did not know where it came from or how to control, but it was there and it was stronger than before. Did alcohol do that? Jae felt a bit stupid. He was young and foolish, he knew. But now he felt like a very stupid person. He did not know how being drunk felt like, he was getting these strange feelings towards Taeyong and he could not think properly. Jaehyun was certainly stupid at this moment. 

"Doyoung was just being nice." Jaehyun shook his head, but that only made his stomach turn and nausea took over him. 

"Can you wait until we reach your room?" 

"F-for?" Jaehyun put his hand over his mouth. 

"Let's go." 

Taeyong lowered himself and pulled Jaehyun's arm so that it was resting on his shoulder. He easily pulled Jaehyun up, making him stand a bit clumsy. He shivered the moment a hand wrapped around his waist. He looked down to see Taeyong's slim fingers resting on his hip. He looked around with a very scared look on his face. The room was now much quieter and almost empty, apart from the faint laughter he could hear coming from the remaining small groups. People were still enjoying their companies. No one seemed to be paying attention to them or at least Jaehyun couldn't really see it. He lowered his head and supported himself up with Taeyong's help, trying not to throw up in the process. Both men walked rather clumsily to the elevator. 

Jaehyun kept silent as he looked down. He could feel his skin tingle and he had a weird fluttering feeling in his stomach which he attributed to nausea. He had only felt that way when he got sick, which was not often. That had happened maybe once or twice in his life, even though his aunt made him go to the doctor regularly. He hated it. Hated the way those men looked at him while licking their lips. He shook his head trying to evade the memories. 

"Something wrong?" Taeyong asked calmly. 

He could not answer so he just shook his head again. 

The elevator door opened and both men stepped in. Jaehyun let go of Taeyong and leaned against the back wall, letting the cold metal soothe his mind. He closed his eyes for a second in a failed attempt of making everything stop spinning. The only thing he could hear was the soft hum of the elevator and the pounding of his own heart against his ribcage. For a second he wished he was the only one listening to it and then he remembered. Taeyong could hear every single thought in his head and he gasped. He had probably listened to it all. He knew it all, didn't he? Jaehyun opened his eyes and stared at Taeyong. To his surprise, the man looked completely unfazed. Unbothered by the complicated thoughts in Jaehyun's head. He felt strange. His mind felt strange. 

Taeyong had his hand in his pocket and Jaehyun could see the circular motion of his fingers. It was rather enticing. Almost as if he was compelled to look. Again he felt strange. Jae shook his head almost violently, making him lose balance. Jaehyun fell with a thud on the floor and when he looked up, Taeyong was looking down at him with a grin on his lips. 

"Something wrong?" Taeyong extended his hand to Jaehyun. 

"N-no." He stuttered while grabbing Taeyong's hand. "I'm fine." 

"You look a bit pale." Taeyong pulled him back up and helped him stand. "Do you think you can wait until we reach your room?" 

"What are you doing?" Jaehyun said before he even thought about the consequences. 

"I'm helping you to your room." Taeyong smiled, but it looked almost menacing. 

"You know I'm not." He hiccuped. "Talking about that." 

The elevator door opened, interrupting Jaehyun. Taeyong stepped out and looked back at him, the smile lingering on his lips. It took Jae a few seconds to recover and be able to move. His walking was definitely not normal so he just leaned against the door and the wall before finally exiting the elevator. Taeyong put a hand on his shoulder and made sure he was standing correctly. The room spun a couple of times, making Jaehyun close his eyes once more. 

"Come." Taeyong's voice was soothing. 

Jaehyun began to walk, but then he stopped again. 

"You didn't answer me." His tone sounded a bit too intense and he could see the smile fade from Taeyong's lips. 

"You will have to be more specific." 

"You brought me here." Jaehyun swallowed. "You acted like you were the nice guy and all of a sudden you turned into some sort of demon." 

Jaehyun could not tell if it was his mind if the lights in the room had grown dimmer. Taeyong was staring back at him. 

"What did you call me?" His tone was dark and scary. 

Normally Jaehyun would not answer. He would remain quiet and accept whatever it was Taeyong was going to say to him. But for some reason, he did not feel the need to remain quiet. He needed to answer. 

"That red thing in your eyes." Jaehyun pointed at the other man, granting him an odd look. "That is not normal." 

"And what exactly is _normal_ for you?" Taeyong raised his brow. 

"I was normal until you showed up." Jaehyun raised the tone of his voice. 

"Oh, were you?" Taeyong walked closer to him. "Were you happy living that lie and ignoring the things that happened to you?"

Jaehyun could not answer this time. 

"Were you _truly_ happy not knowing what was wrong with you?" Taeyong stepped even closer. "Being sure you were not like the people around you, but still trying so hard to fit into their little world?" 

Again, the words were trapped in his throat.

"Because I am sure that you were not happy." Taeyong laughed. "You existed and that was it. Forgive me if I don't accept that kind of life for a member of my Family." 

"And who are you to accept it or not?" Jaehyun swallowed back on something. "You don't own me. I don't even know who you are!" 

"That is what this is about?" Taeyong tilted his head. "You think I know everything about you, but you don't know anything about me?" 

Jaehyun remained silent. 

"Is that," Taeyong stepped even closer, making the gap between them uncomfortably short. "what you want?" 

Something inside Jaehyun told him to run, but at the same time, he wanted to stay. He wanted to close the distance between them. He had never felt that way. The intensity was almost electric. As if it could explode at any time. 

"Are you curious?" Taeyong took one step forward. "Do you want to get to know me better, Jaehyun-ssi?" 

The silence in the room became intense. Jaehyun did not have the strength to answer Taeyong and the other man was waiting for some sort of answer while both of them stared into each other's eyes. Jaehyun was unsure what he could answer. It was true, he wanted to know exactly who Taeyong was. _What_ he was. At the same time, he didn't. It felt too scary to know. But there were other things he wanted as well. Things Jaehyun did not fully understand. His mind was a complete mess and his body seemed to want to stand closer to Taeyong, closer to danger. 

Jaehyun could feel his feet moving forward. Closing the gap between them. He could feel Taeyong's breath on his skin. Jae saw when he grinned. He was entertained. His heart began to pound even faster in his ribcage. It almost hurt. The strong ringing in his ears felt numbing. He closed his eyes for a second before opening it again as he stared at Taeyong's lips. What would it feel like to kiss him? Would it be strange? Jungwoo had warned him about Taeyong and Doyoung's bond. It was probably something intimate, yet he felt like doing that. Felt like kissing a man. It felt wrong. _Too_ wrong. Almost as if it was not him and that was when he understood. 

"Stop!" Jaehyun had warned in his tone. 

"What?" Taeyong tilted his head. 

Jaehyun then gasped. Taeyong was not standing close to him and it would have been impossible for him to move back that fast, even though he was extremely fast. He had never stood close to him. Taeyong had said he could heighten the thoughts in someone else's mind, but he could not create something. The thought had to be there. But he had just imagined something that wasn't really happening. An illusion. Jaehyun's stomach turned and he covered his mouth again. 

"Jaehyun?" Taeyong sounded worried. 

"You..." He stuttered while trying hard not to throw up. 

"Me?" Taeyong walked closer and put his hand on Jae's shoulder. "What are you talking about?" 

Before Jaehyun could control himself, he threw up. The floor in front of him was now covered in a thick layer of vomit. Red and disgusting. He heard Taeyong curse under his breath. Jaehyun felt a bit ashamed, but he was mostly feeling weak. His knees were shaking and he sunk, hitting both knees on the floor with a loud thud. He tried to remain straight, but he fell to the side and was now leaning against the wall. Taeyong had crouched and was now standing beside him. Jaehyun was panting. 

"Jaehyun!" Taeyong shook him. "What are you saying?" 

"There was," He took a second to breathe. "An illusion." 

"What illusion?" Taeyong sounded mad. "What sort of illusion? Speak!"

"You..." Jaehyun was ashamed and he could feel his cheeks growing hotter and red. "You were close. _Too_ close." 

"Me?" 

"I wanted to…" He failed to complete his sentence. 

"What did you see?" 

"You." Jaehyun swallowed. "You and I." 

"Did we do something?" Taeyong leaned back.

"No, but..." 

"But?" 

"I wanted to." Jaehyun finally managed to look at him. "You too." 

Taeyong stood up almost immediately. He looked angry. His face was dark, but not in the same way it had been earlier. It was just a very complicated expression that did not last long. His features softened and he let out an awkward smile. There was more to it than he would let Jaehyun see. Problem was, Jae was not going to let go. This was not something good and someone had done it to him. Made him feel that way and imagine all those things. What would have happened if he had not realized it was not normal? Maybe he would have tried something with Taeyong. Jaehyun stared at the pool of vomit in front of him and immediately turned away to face the end of the hallway. 

Doyoung was at the end of the hall. 

Jaehyun's body stiffened as he saw the man march towards him. Doyoung was not the kind of person to let other people see what he was thinking or feeling. And this time it was no different. There was nothing on his face, no expression. This was what made him even more menacing. The uncertainty of what he was thinking. It would have been better to be sure that he was angry or annoyed. But that was never the case with him. Each step made Jaehyun want to throw up again. Made him go almost insane. He knew this was bad and he could not escape whatever was coming. 

"I'll ask someone to clean this up." Doyoung's tone was calm. 

"Thank you." Taeyong smiled softly. "I'll take him to his room." 

"He can do it alone." Doyoung had a warning in his tone. 

"Doyoung." Taeyong seemed bothered. 

"He is just drunk, he can go alone." Doyoung extended his hand at Jaehyun. "Can't you?" 

Jaehyun was scared but nodded in agreement. He was unsure if he had done so out of fear because he was being told to. Jae got to his feet and put his free hand on the wall, supporting himself in place. 

"Go," Doyoung said softly and Jaehyun slowly began to move away, heading for his bedroom. 

"Don't." Taeyong sighed. 

"We need to talk," Doyoung said and Jaehyun could hear them moving away. 

Jae did not stop moving until he reached his door. He took a final look at the hallway but it was already empty. Doyoung and Taeyong had already left and the hallway was silent again. Jaehyun pushed his door open and in only a few seconds he was lying on his bed. He did not bother to take off his clothes, only his shoes. He stared at the ceiling for a long time, trying to ignore nausea that had settled in his stomach. He felt stupid. He had never been drunk before, but he was sure he was now. Taeyong came back to his mind and Doyoung followed. He felt as if he had betrayed both of them. Jaehyun shook his head trying to make those thoughts go away. The room spun a few times before he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. 

Jaehyun woke up suddenly. He was completely startled because for some reason he felt as if he had gone to bed just a few seconds ago. He sat on his bed and cracked his neck. His body was not rested and he could feel the stiffness on his muscles. The room looked different, but he did not know why. Everything was where it should be. The bed, the closet, the chair. Jaehyun's eyes stopped the moment they reached the chair. Taeyong was sitting down wearing a red velvet robe while drawing something on a notepad. It was a truly beautiful sight, but Jaehyun did not know why he was there. Especially dressed like that. He had probably arrived while he was sleeping, but since he could not see the sunlight, he couldn't figure out what time it was. 

"Did I wake you?" Taeyong continued drawing. 

"No." Jaehyun rubbed his eyes. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were feeling better." 

"I'm fine." Jaehyun was sure he was blushing. "Thank you." 

Taeyong finally stopped drawing and set his notepad and pencil on the chair as he stood up. Jaehyun could not see what he had drawn, but he was curious. Taeyong turned and then faced Jae, staring at him with dark eyes. 

"You know I can hear what you are thinking, don't you?" Taeyong grinned as he walked towards the bed. 

"I know." Jaehyun swallowed. 

"So you _know_ I heard what you were thinking earlier. What you were imagining." 

"Yes." 

Every step Taeyong took made Jaehyun's heart pound faster. He was burning up and he felt trapped. He wanted to run away, but he couldn't. Not with Taeyong standing so close. 

"You should not imagine those things." Taeyong stopped at the foot of the bed, the robe had shifted and his white chest was slightly showing. 

Jaehyun swallowed and shifted in the bed, trying to avoid Taeyong's eye. But he knew he was listening. 

Taeyong seemed to be enjoying himself while began to crawl on the bed, heading for Jaehyun. He swallowed hard. 

"Do you desire me, Jaehyun?" 

"I-I..." Jaehyun did not know if he could answer. 

"You shouldn't." Taeyong's smile grew wider as the distance between them grew shorter. "You can't." 

"Why?" Jaehyun was not sure why he had asked that, but he felt he should have. 

"Don't pretend as if you did not know." Taeyong was now on top of Jaehyun, his hand resting on his thigh. "He will not forgive you." 

Jaehyun was silent as he stared into Taeyong's eyes. They were dark. He tried to move, but he was pinned in place by Taeyong. Jaehyun leaned back, but Taeyong closed the distance between them, and his lips brushed against Jaehyun's. He shivered and tried to lean back again, but he couldn't move. He was frozen in place. Taeyong licked Jaehyun's lips and strangely he could taste something metallic, almost like blood. Jaehyun licked his lips and he was now sure that it was blood. Taeyong bit Jaehyun's bottom lip and groaned as he did so. Jaehyun was now completely immersed in that situation, ignoring the taste of blood. Taeyong pulled away and it took him a few seconds to open his eyes. 

Taeyong was staring at him and his eyes had that crimson glow again. 

"You are such a naive child." He laughed. 

Jaehyun was frozen. He could not move nor speak.

"I am not a man of threats." Taeyong's eyes glowed stronger. "I do not need deception." 

Jaehyun only swallowed. 

"I will tell you a very interesting little story." He laughed. "One you will never forget." 

The room was now completely dark and the only source of light were Taeyong's eyes. 

"Where I come from, people fiercely believe in good and evil." He licked his lips. "But they have determined that evil must never win. Evil is what the world must be free of." 

Taeyong rubbed his thumb on Jaehyun's lips. 

"They have killed and destroyed in the name of good, certain that they were doing the world a favor by getting rid of all the evil they encountered." Taeyong clicked his tongue. "So much blood was spilled and yet they still believed they were doing the right thing. Killing children, adults, and even old folk. All because they believed that those people were evil. Because they were slightly different." 

_We are all evil._

"Yes, we are." Taeyong laughed loudly. "But do you think there is only good or evil, my sweetheart?" 

_No._

"There is more. _So_ much more." Taeyong straightened himself on Jaehyun's lap and tilted his head back. When his head tilted back forward, blood was dripping from his lips. Yet he was still smiling. "Good truly exists, but it's just a shy little thing. Evil is different. It appears when called upon. What do you think happened after all that blood was spilled?" 

_Evil showed up._

"Exactly, sweetheart." Taeyong leaned closer, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. "And evil is _always_ on time. Its darkness and demons will always show up." 

_You are a demon._

"Don't say things you do not fully comprehend, my sweetheart." Taeyong licked his lips once more. "But I did not mind watching the bloodbath. Seeing them fall one by one after what they had done. After what I had seen." 

_Evil._

"You see, I do not meddle in other people's business." Taeyong tilted his head, making a few droplets of blood fall on the bedding. "If people must suffer and pay for their sins, let those in charge do their job. I am a mere spectator." 

_You like suffering._

"Can you blame me?" Taeyong laughed. "Don't you find it satisfying when people pay for their sins?"

_Who are you to judge?_

"Who _am_ I?" Taeyong leaned even closer and now his lips were brushing against Jaehyun's. "Are you sure you want to know the answer to that question?" 

_You are a sinner as well._

"No, my sweetheart." Taeyong licked Jaehyun's cheeks and made his way to his ear, licking every single inch of flesh. "I _am_ the sin." 

Jaehyun swallowed hard. 

"I am lust, greed, gluttony, pride, sloth, wrath, and envy all in one." He licked Jaehyun's ear once more. "I am what they all want, but cannot have. Just like you." 

_What are you?_

"Something very few people comprehend or will believe even if I tell them." 

_And what am I?_

"What if I told you that you and I are the same? Would you love me or hate me?" Taeyong pulled back once more, blood dripping intensely from his lips. 

_I am nothing like you._

"Don't try to hide behind that mask. You enjoy chaos just as much as I do." He contoured his own lips with his index, covering it in blood. "Weren't you smiling when you tortured Doyoung? Did you not feel pleasure from it? You can't lie to me, sweetheart." 

_I couldn't control myself._

"You could. You have done so your entire life." Taeyong opened his mouth and put two fingers inside, sucking them thoroughly. He then pulled out the blood-covered fingers and stared at them. "You have controlled what was never meant to be controlled in the first place and now you cannot hide it anymore. Not around me." 

Taeyong pried Jaehyun's mouth open and stuck his bloody fingers inside, making him suck on the fingers, making sure there was no blood left on them. Taeyong laughed as he watched the scene in front of him. Jaehyun was terrified at this point. 

"Such a greedy little boy." He pulled out his fingers, spit falling on his lap. "Be aware that now that you have shown it the world, it will never go back." 

_I am not like you._

"That is not true." Taeyong ran his fingers through his hair. "And you can try to judge me in any way you like. But do you know who the real threat is? It's not those who instigate evil acts, but those who do the acts for them. People so greedy that will do anything to please those in power, just so they can taste the tiniest amount of it." 

Taeyong clicked his tongue. 

"They act without conscience just for a drop of what we have. That makes anyone turn into a dangerous animal."

 _You are just pure evil._

"Sweetheart, the devil would be useless if he could not entice people to do his work. So as long as we exist, we will continue to seduce those who are glutton, those who are hopeless and broken, the greedy, and the deprived, and there will always be a war between brothers.”

Jaehyun felt his chest tighten. Felt the numbness in his soul. He felt the same way he had when he tortured Doyoung. Free from feeling. He felt desperate, but such a feeling disappeared in a second. He was back to it and he could feel the burning inside his eyes. He knew they were blue. Knew he had gone back. There was no longer a reflection in the mirror, he _was_ the reflection. The dark creature that lurked in the shadows and was evil. Just like Taeyong. 

"Much better, sweetheart." Taeyong leaned down. "Now let's go watch them kill each other." 

Taeyong leaned down and kissed Jaehyun on the lips. The blood dripped on the bedding again and he could feel the liquid drenching the fabric. His hands getting doused in blood. Jaehyun finally closed his eyes and his mouth finally opened. The blood poured into his mouth and he swallowed it all. 

Jaehyun opened his eyes screaming. He immediately sat on the bed and his hands touched the bedding. It was wet and his body froze. A shiver ran down his spine. Slowly he looked down only to see his bed drenched. But it was not blood. Thankfully. The bed was drenched in sweat and so was he. His shirt was sticking to his skin and the room was quiet. There was no Taeyong. There was no blood. He had dreamt it all. A nightmare. The worst nightmare he had in all his life. He was panting as he tried to make sense of all that had happened. Everything that he had seen and heard in that vivid dream. 

"Bad dream?" A voice sounded in the room.

He lifted his eyes, fearing what he was going to encounter. Doyoung was sitting on the chair Taeyong had been previously sitting on in his nightmare. Jaehyun could only stare at the man.


	7. VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After reading and re-reading this chapter, I think I just wanted to clear some things. This chapter is more about introductions and less about intensity or climax like the other ones were. So it ends on a softer note and it's just about the little details in each scene.  
> Enjoy :)

"What are you doing here?" Jaehyun was shivering. 

"I came to check on you." Doyoung was playing with his necklace. 

"How long have you been sitting there?" 

"Long enough to know that you have something to tell me." Doyoung's fingers stopped. 

Jaehyun stared at the man for a few seconds. He could not tell Doyoung about what he had dreamt, but he could not escape being forced into saying it. Jaehyun had to find a way to make him accept a lie. This would certainly cost him a lot, but that was a problem he would deal with later. Jaehyun wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed, making Doyoung raise his eyebrow at the sound. 

"I don't think I have to repeat myself." Doyoung licked his lips. 

"Can you give me some space to breathe?" Jaehyun snarled. 

"No." 

"Excuse me?" 

"I can't even breathe inside this room." Doyoung cleared his throat. 

"You can leave." 

"Don't be disrespectful." Doyoung clicked his tongue. "It won't end well for you." 

"Are you threatening me?" Jaehyun growled, he knew his eyes were dark. 

"Are _you_?" Doyoung slowly began to stand up. 

Jaehyun did not bother to answer.

"Are you going to speak or do I have to force it out of you?" 

"Don't test me right now, Doyoung." Jaehyun inhaled sharply. "I am _not_ in the mood." 

"Neither am I, Jaehyun," Doyoung warned. "Something happened in this house last night and I won't leave this room until you speak." 

"What happened?" Jaehyun was confused. 

Jaehyun gasped at the idea that he wasn't the only one who had a dreadful nightmare. He began to think. Whatever had happened to him, happened to other people. Probably not in the same intensity and it was unlikely that it had been with Taeyong. The red eyes were not something many people were aware of and he was sure of it. Jaehyun thought back on what Jungwoo had said. How he had a nightmare with Taeyong and he had those horrifying red eyes as well. Someone was coming for them. Whoever messed with Jungwoo's mind, had also done something to Jaehyun. Unfortunately, he could not rule out Taeyong or Doyoung as culprits. 

"We will talk about this later." 

"I will not tell you anything until you explain what happened." Jaehyun crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was acting childish and he knew it. 

"You are all testing my patience today." Doyoung raised his brow and walked towards the bed. 

"Where's Taeyong?" 

"He is not going to be talking to anyone today." Doyoung sighed. "He is not feeling well." 

Jaehyun's head sounded its own alarm. After the nightmare he had, Taeyong not being well sounded as a lie or as if something was definitely off. Maybe he had dreamt the same thing. Doyoung was not going to tell him even if he asked, but he could make his way around it. Try to dig information regarding Taeyong and the reason why he was sick. 

"Did he have a nightmare as well?" Jaehyun tried to fish for information. 

"If you want that information, you will have to ask him yourself." 

Jaehyun sighed as he pushed the covers and got out of the bed. He was drenched in sweat and his legs were still shaking. He could feel weakness in his body, but he also felt some numbness. It felt strange and dangerous. Jaehyun did not want to give in to that side of him. Become like Taeyong had been in that nightmare or even like he was in real life. He inhaled deeply and walked towards the bathroom. 

"And where exactly do you think you are going?" Doyoung was clearly angry. 

"Doyoung." Jaehyun sighed. "I will drop by your office later. Please leave." 

He sighed once more as he entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Jaehyun waited until he heard the bedroom door slam closed and Doyoung did it strongly enough to be heard from inside the bathroom with the water running. He was certainly mad, but Jaehyun was not in the mood to deal with that at the moment. He turned to the mirror and placed both his hands on the sink, trying to calm himself down and avoiding the mirror. Jaehyun was not afraid of it. He knew what was waiting for him and when he raised his gaze, there it was. His blue-eyed reflection staring back at him. This time it was smiling. It was happy to see him and he knew it was because of that nightmare. 

_Now that you have shown it the world, it will never go back._

It would never be the same after that, Jaehyun knew it. He could no longer ignore who he was or the world he had been brought into. He could no longer pretend to not know. Jaehyun knew there was something inside of him, he had always known. He just chose to believe it was something different, something strange. But now he knew it was dark and evil. It was uncontrollable and he would most likely get everyone else around him hurt, but still, there he was. Staring at his smiling reflection. Jaehyun sighed and entered the shower. 

Doyoung was not happy and anyone could see it. When Jaehyun opened the door he had been playing with his necklace and the room smelled flowery. But as soon as he closed the door, the scent faded as he put away his necklace. Doyoung stared at Jaehyun and then looked at the other end of the room. Kun was sitting down staring at his hands. His gaze turned to Jaehyun the moment he closed the door and walked to the chair in the middle of the room. He ignored the looks he'd received and sat down with a sigh. 

"Are you comfortable?" Doyoung was annoyed. 

"Doyoung." Kun sighed. "Don't." 

"Everyone in this Family is trying to make me insane and you're telling me to stop?" 

"What happened?" Jaehyun sighed. 

Both men turned to face him. 

"There was a strange energy in the house last night," Kun answered. 

"Qian Kun," Doyoung warned. 

"I am older than you, do not interrupt me." Kun raised his brow. 

"What do you mean by strange energy?" Jaehyun was curious. 

"Something affected the balance inside the house and we know you felt it." Kun stared at the glass of water beside him. "I need you to tell me what you saw." 

Kun was someone Jaehyun felt he could trust, but Doyoung was still inside the room and that made it impossible to tell them about Taeyong. He would have to avoid certain details, like Taeyong kissing him. It would only make things awkward and he knew it. Kun suddenly stood up and walked towards Jaehyun. He placed the glass of water in front of him and then sat opposite Jaehyun, still looking directly into his eyes. 

"Please, tell us." Kun had a soft tone. 

"Is the water here to prevent me from lying?" Jaehyun's tone was deep. 

"Yes." Kun did not seem bothered by the question. 

"It was only a nightmare." Jaehyun smiled. "There was nothing to it." 

"What happened in that nightmare?" Doyoung was the one to ask. 

"Someone was in my room." 

"Who?" Kun asked. 

"I don't know." Jaehyun tilted his head. 

"You do." Kun inhaled. "Don't lie."

"Taeyong." 

The name made both men stiffen. Jaehyun could see it even though they did their best to hide it. 

"It was not Taeyong." Jaehyun licked his lips. "Only an illusion of him." 

"What did he tell you?" Kun leaned forward. 

"That he wanted to see people kill each other." 

Kun turned to Doyoung and then back to Jaehyun. They seemed to have silently agreed to something. A plan. And Jaehyun was now involved in it. 

"You will accompany me to a meeting," Doyoung explained. 

"Meeting?" Jaehyun was confused. 

"We have to speak to a specific Family," Kun answered. 

"We will leave in 15 minutes." Doyoung stood up. "Be ready." 

It was the first time Jaehyun was seeing the sunlight in a while. Even though it was already far into the afternoon, he still stared at the sky in a daze. The sun was not fully exposed, so he did not feel scared. If someone were to get close, they would be able to see the faint glow through his shirt. But he knew he was not going to meet anyone who would find that strange. Jaehyun rubbed his skin lightly, observing the shift in the glow. 

"Does it always glow like that?" Kun asked in a calm tone. 

"It has always been like this." Jaehyun turned around to face him and smiled. "But it grew stronger these past few days." 

"Have you confirmed his lineage, Doyoung?" 

"No." Doyoung was focused on the road ahead of him. 

They had been driving for a long time, but this was the first time Doyoung had said a word. He was clearly bothered by something regarding what had happened in the house, but he would certainly not speak about it. It was not strange for him to be silent, but Jaehyun knew that this time, it was not good. Jaehyun placed his hands on his lap and focused back on the street. Kun was also quiet and when Jaehyun looked through the rearview mirror, he could see that the other man seemed to be deep in thought. 

Doyoung drove for a few more minutes until they stopped at a very big metal gate. Jaehyun could only see the gate and a very high red-bricked wall. Doyoung rolled down his window to speak to the middle-aged man standing by the cabin beside the entrance. 

"Mr. Kim." The man bowed. "Nice to see you again." 

"Nice to see you too, Seung-min." Doyoung smiled and then drove into the house when the gate finally opened. 

Jaehyun could only describe the house as fancy. It had two stories and most of the walls were actually made out of glass. They could see the house interior and Jaehyun could only focus on the white-haired man sitting on a chair by one of the windows on the first floor. The man lifted his gaze and stared at the car as it parked opposite the window. He then stood up and disappeared from Jaehyun's line of sight and into the house. The moment he stood up, Jaehyun could see the man was extremely tall. He swallowed and then looked at Doyoung who was already unbuckling his seatbelt. 

"Where are we?" Jaehyun was slightly concerned. 

"This is an ancient and very respected Family." Doyoung turned off the car and placed his hand on the handle. "Don't do anything stupid." 

Doyoung then opened the door and exited the car, followed by Kun. Jaehyun swallowed once more and then exited the car as well. The three then walked in complete silence to the main door where they were greeted by a shorty and smiley man. He seemed happy to see the three of them, almost too happy. Jaehyun felt a little baffled by the look on the man's face but remained silent and still. 

"Doyoung-ssi." The man smiled even brighter. "You are early." 

"Have I troubled you, Minseok-ssi?" Doyoung lowered his head. 

"Of course not!" The man laughed. "It gives us more time to catch up." 

"Of course." Doyoung smiled. 

"Kun-ssi, always a pleasure to see you." 

Kun only bowed. 

"And who might this young man be?" Minseok turned to Jaehyun. 

"You already know the answer, Minseok-ssi." Doyoung's smile was clearly fake. 

"Of course I do." Minseok tapped Doyoung on the shoulder as he approached Jaehyun. "I just wanted to hear his answer." 

"Jaehyun." He bowed. "A pleasure."

"I have to say that the pleasure is _mine_." Minseok tilted his head. "It's not often that I get to see someone like you." 

"Shall we go inside?" Doyoung intervened. 

Minseok laughed and then turned, heading inside the house. The four men crossed the massive white door and entered the house. It was very elegantly decorated. It was different from his house but somehow similar. It looked like a house from a magazine or some celebrity that he had seen on the TV. The air was certainly thick, but Jaehyun felt completely at ease. Like he belonged there. They walked further into the house and stopped when they reached a room that faced a garden. There were sculptures and a stone path that led towards a small lake. It looked peaceful. 

"Please, sit." Minseok's voice pulled Jaehyun out of his daze. 

They all took a seat and somehow Jaehyun ended up sitting opposite Minseok.

"Junmyeon is still busy, so you will have to wait a little longer." Minseok turned to Doyoung. 

"We have plenty of time." Doyoung smiled. "No need to rush." 

"Always so polite, Doyoung-ssi." 

"I will take that as a compliment." Doyoung smiled. 

"Don't." Minseok laughed. "You know it is fake." 

"No pointing in hiding anything from you." 

"To hide something from a seer is a very bad idea." Minseok laughed once more as a staff member set a tea set in front of him on the small coffee table. 

Minseok leaned forward and poured the liquid into the cups. Strangely there were only three and that made Jaehyun restless. The man hummed a calm tune as he poured the tea and when he finished, he turned to Jaehyun and grinned. 

"He is interesting." 

"He is young." Doyoung turned to Jaehyun. 

"And foolish." The man extended a cup to him. "I can tell." 

"Very." Kun smiled as he picked up one of the cups. 

"Weren't we all at some point in our lives?" Minseok smiled as he leaned back after giving Jaehyun his cup. "Young, foolish, and reckless." 

"Reckless does not suit you, Minseok-ssi." Kun sipped on the tea. 

"Indeed it doesn't." A deep voice sounded behind them. 

"Junmyeon-ssi." Minseok stood up. "Are you finished?" 

"Yes." Junmyeon sat down beside Minseok. "I am sorry to have kept you waiting." 

"We were catching up." Minseok tilted his head. "And meeting new people." 

"Jaehyun-ssi, I presume." Junmyeon smiled at him. 

"Yes, sir." 

"Please, call me Junmyeon." The man smiled. "And enjoy your tea." 

Jaehyun bowed slightly and took a sip of the brown-colored tea. He instantly felt relaxed, at home. The thickness in the air disappeared and he sunk into his seat. It all felt extremely pleasant and calm. Junmyeon smiled at him once more. Jaehyun could feel his mind becoming even calmer and disconnected. The house felt warmer and cozier. The people around him felt like family, even though he did not trust anyone in that room. It was confusing, but Jae could not fight that feeling. It was just too good to not give in to it. 

"This is a good tea." Jaehyun smiled. 

"Indeed it is." Junmyeon smiled back. "You can have as much as you want." 

"But don't drink _too_ much." Minseok grinned. 

"Why?" Jaehyun was curious so he ignored Doyoung's grunt. 

"Once you dive into it, if you're not careful, you can drown." Junmyeon rubbed his chin.

"You will be trapped in this state forever," Kun added. 

"Can we begin?" Doyoung's tone was calm. 

"Follow me." Junmyeon stood up. 

All men stood up and Jaehyun took the hint. He was feeling a bit slow and out of it, but he liked that feeling. It was calming. It was different from what he felt when he was at home. The constant fear and stress. He imagined himself living in that house and drinking that tea every day. Being calm and tranquil. Jae did not understand what they meant when they said one could get trapped in this state forever. How could someone not want to feel like that? 

They walked out of the room and through a small corridor that led into a darker area. There were not as many windows and Jaehyun could feel colder as they walked deeper into the house. He was a bit too dazed to figure out how much they had walked, but they were now in a room with black curtains and black wallpaper with delicate silver drawings that looked like little planets. Jaehyun was not sure, but he found it beautiful. There were other men inside the room. Seven more men. They were all standing around a large table with a black cloth on top of it. 

"Please, sit." Junmyeon gestured at the chairs around the table as he sat at the head. 

Everyone, except two men, sat down. They walked back and stood against the wall facing Jaehyun. He then looked around only to see Minseok staring back at him. 

"It is funny to see children sitting at the table." He grinned once more. 

Jaehyun was bothered by the comment but did not answer. Doyoung would most likely kill him if he talked back, so he decided that silence was the safer choice. Jaehyun turned his attention to Junmyeon and saw him place a sharp object on the table. It looked almost like a dagger and it had a bluish color. Suddenly one by one, the men started to put similar objects on the table. They were all different colors, but their shape was relatively similar. Jaehyun looked to his left and he could see the tall white-haired man place an almost golden dagger on the table. It looked extremely unique. Junmyeon cleared his throat, making Jaehyun turn to face him. 

" _Atteiu sagauentis aliai, tabononpi metuiuel, ide, ali. Pubatie greado, iusaei, iabli, uole, nimeappe._ " Junmyeon said calmly. 

All men hummed, except Jaehyun. Suddenly one of the two men that had been standing by the wall walked forward and began collecting the sharp objects in front of each man. Jaehyun looked to his side and saw Doyoung and Kun with a complicated expression on their faces. Still, they looked calm. All objects were collected and then set in front of Junmyeon. Jae could only stare. He was completely amazed by the whole scene unfolding in front of him. It felt magical. 

"What is the question?" Junmyeon asked. 

"As I have explained before, I believe the event in our den might be connected to the disappearances," Doyoung explained. 

Junmyeon hummed. 

" _Credicebat resic, estego inoinsse, iquaacnte._ " He picked up the seven objects and then calmly let them go on the table. 

"Success." Junmyeon smiled at Doyoung. 

"They indeed are connected." 

"Yes." 

"And sickness." Junmyeon tapped on one of the objects. 

"So it's bad." Kun licked his lips. 

"Yes." 

Junmyeon picked up the seven objects and held them tightly in his hand. 

" _Credicebat resic, estego inoinsse, iquaacnte._ " Again he let the objects fall on the table calmly.

Junmyeon hummed again and Minseok clicked his tongue. 

"This is tricky." Minseok licked his lips. 

"How so?" Kun asked. 

"May I?" Minseok looked at Junmyeon and the other man nodded. 

"It shows danger and quarrel."

Doyoung leaned forward while Kun leaned back and crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

"But there is also an encounter." Minseok tilted his head. "And love." 

He turned to face Jaehyun with a complicated expression. 

"Bad love." A black-haired man spoke. 

"Yes, Jongdae-ssi," Junmyeon answered. "Bad indeed." 

"You've read him," Doyoung spoke. 

Junmyeon grinned. 

"He is far too complicated for me to ignore his presence." Junmyeon touched the sharp objects. 

"He is not good." The white-haired man hissed. 

"Yes." The small man sitting beside him leaned closer and grinned at Jaehyun. "So bad." 

"Don't be rude." Minseok tapped the table and turned to Jaehyun. "What Chanyeol is trying to say is that your energy is too complicated and it does not sit well with our environment." 

Jaehyun swallowed and silence ensued. All eyes were on him. Curiosity and in some cases animosity. He was unsure of what to feel or think, yet he was trapped in that situation with nowhere to run or hide. Doyoung and Kun sat beside him, but he was sure they would not help him. He did not trust them either. Jaehyun looked around nervously once more and he could feel their gazes seeing more than his flesh. Digging into his soul. Seeing his memories and secrets, touching what should not be touched. Jaehyun felt violated and angry. But he knew if he caved into those feelings, things would not go well. He just needed them to stop. 

"Stop." He said a bit too loudly. "Please, stop." 

"Jaehyun!" Doyoung hissed. 

"It's okay." Junmyeon had a calm tone. "I know we can be a bit overwhelming sometimes." 

"You weren't exactly calm on your first time, Doyoung-ssi." Jongdae laughed. 

"I need you to exit the room, Doyoung-ssi, and Kun-ssi." Junmyeon gestured to the door. "Sehun and Jongin will escort you." 

Doyoung looked reluctant but bowed and complied with the order. Kun followed suit and stood behind Doyoung. The two men that had been standing against the wall walked forward and led Doyoung and Kun out of the room, closing the door behind them. The room became silent again and all eyes turned to Jaehyun. The turmoil in his mind reappeared. 

"I cannot have distrust in my room," Junmyeon said calmly. "You do not trust either of them." 

"I do not trust you either," Jaehyun said at last. 

"We are not meant to be trusted, we are meant to be feared," Chanyeol spoke. "There is a difference."

"Is that so?" Jaehyun's hands turned into fists under the table. 

"You are far too dangerous to be walking around like that." Junmyeon sighed. "So freely."

"Taeyong-ssi is a deceiving little creature, isn't he?" Minseok clicked his tongue. 

The room became far too cold. The lights dimmed and the room became even darker. Jaehyun shivered. The calmness that had been numbing his thoughts was gone and now he could only feel threatened in that room. His heart began to beat faster and he could feel a familiar numbness settle in his stomach. If he let it take over him, things would certainly get out of hand. They could not see those eyes. Ever. 

"Are you trying to scare me?" Jaehyun hissed. 

"As I said before," Minseok tilted his head. "You are young and foolish, so we will ignore such comments." 

"He is fun." The short man beside Chanyeol spoke. "Feisty." 

Jaehyun was fighting back the urge to let the numbness control him. He looked down at his fists and he could see they were tight. The skin was pale and his veins were extremely blue. Chanyeol seemed to have realized what he was doing and grinned at him. His gaze made him feel like before. Like he was being violated once more. Like there were no walls to his memories or secrets and they were all in the open. 

"I thank you for your hospitality, but I am leaving." Jaehyun stood up. 

"Sit." The black-haired man, who had not spoken up until that point, ordered.

Jaehyun sat back down immediately. 

"Kyungsoo, you were here all this time?" Minseok laughed. 

"Those who are a disturbance to the balance cannot be allowed to do as they please." Kyungsoo ignored Minseok's remark. 

"I have no intention of doing that." Jaehyun raised his brow. 

"You can't really control your own fate," Junmyeon explained. 

"And what am I supposed to do?" Jaehyun was annoyed. "I'm not even sure of what I am." 

"No one is." Jongdae scratched his forehead. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

"That is why you are dangerous." Jongdae continued. "You are not something we can predict." 

"Why?" 

"Enough." Junmyeon intervened. "We should not discuss such matters so lightly." 

Jaehyun stared at the man with a calm face, but his fists were even tighter. 

"We will keep in touch, Jaehyun-ssi." Junmyeon smiled. "Do not choose the wrong path." 

Minseok and Junmyeon stood up and all the other men followed. Jaehyun stood up as well and bowed. His hands were now loose again. He faked a smile and headed for the door. He opened and closed it extremely fast, and as soon as the door slammed shut he inhaled deeply. Jaehyun was shaking. He was angry. Those men wanted to control him. Wanted to tell him what to do and still said nothing. They wanted to take it without giving anything back and Jaehyun would not allow it. If he was truly that dangerous, he would discover how much. Alone or with the help of someone. He would finally discover just what he could do. 

Jaehyun began walking down the dark hallway and he could hear a faint conversation. It was likely Doyoung and Kun talking to those two men, Jongin and Sehun. He continued to shake and he knew it was anger. He did not feel the numbness anymore, only anger. It made him calmer, realizing it did not feel like it had the first time when he had hurt Doyoung. That feeling still made him restless. Jaehyun stopped in his tracks, breathless. He could feel someone behind him. A sudden puff of airbrushed against his neck. It was cold and made all the hairs on his body stand. He was terrified to turn around. 

The hallway became darker and the walls seemed to be closing in on him, making his heart race. There was something else. The air had become thick. It was someone. He was certain, but he was scared to face that person. He slowly and shakingly began to turn around. The breath on his neck making him shiver. He turned around to see an empty hallway. There was nothing but darkness. Still, he was shivering and the room felt strange. 

"Scared?" Something whispered in his ear. 

Jaehyun turned around and he was still alone. 

"Don't be, sweetheart." The voice laughed. 

"Who are you?" Jaehyun turned his hands into fists again. 

"Me?" The voice laughed again. "I'm _you_ , sweetheart."

"You're not." He hissed.

"Am I not?" The voice seemed closer. "Don't you stare into my eyes when you look into the mirror?" 

"You..." The words died in his throat.

"Yes, sweetheart." Jaehyun felt something touch his cheek. "That is you and that is me. _Us_." 

"What are you?" 

"What are _we_." He emphasized. "We are all there is. We are the true gods, sweetheart. We can do and be anything we want." 

"What do you mean?" Jaehyun shivered once more. 

"We cannot be stopped or controlled." He laughed. "We will rule them all." 

"I do not want that." Jaehyun hissed. 

"You only say that because you haven't tasted real power." A faint shadow began to appear in front of Jaehyun. "Because you think you are weak. We are _not_." 

"I never thought that I was." Jaehyun raised his brow and stared into the human shape in front of him. 

"Will you trust me?" The shadow moved closer. 

"No." 

"You will eventually." He laughed. "I will show you the truth." 

"I do not believe you." Jaehyun hissed again. 

"But you will, sweetheart." The shadow was now mere inches from his face. "One way or another."

The shadow quickly approached and the last thing Jaehyun saw before it disappeared, was a pair of blue eyes staring at him. It passed through him and vanished into thin air. He turned his head frantically, trying to find it but it was definitely gone. He was scared. Whatever that thing was, it knew him. It _was_ him. It knew about the reflection and it called him the same way Taeyong had done in that nightmare. _Sweetheart_. He had not forgotten about it. He could never. That word meant a lot to him. It was the only thing he ever remembered about his parents. How their soft voices would call him like that. He had no idea what they looked like or if it was even truly them, but it just felt so. It felt like it was impossible to be someone else. 

Jaehyun inhaled sharply and leaned against the wall. His body was trembling and he did not know if it was out of fear or because of the intensity of everything that had happened. The hallway was back to normal, even though it was not as bright as the other parts of the house. Jaehyun inhaled once more and straightened himself again. Making sure his clothes were in place. 

"Jaehyun?" Doyoung called behind him. 

He turned his head and the man had a confused look on his face. 

"I just felt weak for a second." He smiled. "It was probably the tea." 

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Doyoung grinned. 

Jaehyun felt nothing. He continued to smile and realized that Doyoung was probably not using his powers on him to make him speak. He was giving him just the opportunity to come clean. 

"About?"

Doyoung looked annoyed. 

"What is wrong?" Jaehyun was confused. 

"Nothing." Doyoung turned to leave. "Let's go." 

Both men walked down the hallway and back into the brightly lit room they had been standing in previously. Jaehyun took one last look at the garden and then followed the other four men in towards the entrance. Again he looked around to see the house decór. It was truly beautiful. The calmness in the house complimented it and made it feel like home. Like somewhere you would want to stay forever. Never leave. Or maybe they wanted you to feel in such away. Control you like that. 

All men bowed and Jaehyun followed Doyoung and Kun to the car. They silently entered and you could only hear their calm breathing inside the car. Doyoung started the car and drove into the street, smiling at the middle-aged man by the gate before he drove off. Jaehyun turned and stared out the window. Looking at the setting sun in the distance. There was an intense fog, but the sky still looked beautiful. The sun was reflected in the thick clouds, making faint rays of light escape through the clouds. Jaehyun smiled. 

He was still unsure about what had happened in that house or in that hallway. What was that creature or what those men meant by not being able to predict things about him. It made him shiver. No one could know about that. He would remain silent while he made his research. The only person he could think about helping him was Jungwoo. He felt trustworthy, even though he was a bit too much at times. Still, he was a better choice than Doyoung or Taeyong. Even Kun. Those were definitely not options. 

"They were restless." Kun's voice broke Jaehyun's thoughts. 

"Indeed." Doyoung agreed. 

"They did not like me." Jaehyun was still staring out the window. 

"Do they like anyone other than themselves?" Doyoung scoffed. "They can be annoying."

"They do not like unpredictability," Kun said calmly. 

"And that is what I am?" Jaehyun sighed. "Unpredictable?" 

"I am not a seer." Doyoung scoffed. 

"Is that what they are?" Jaehyun was curious. "Seers?" 

"They have been using divination for a long time," Kun answered. "Humans pay a lot of money for their readings." 

"And what were those daggers?" 

"Aichmomancy," Doyoung answered. "The daggers form patterns and they read into them." 

Jaehyun hummed. 

"What did they say to you?" Doyoung asked. 

"That they would keep in touch." Jaehyun stared into the distance.

"Why?" 

"Because I'm dangerous." Jaehyun grinned.

"They think too highly of you." Doyoung laughed darkly.


	8. VIII

Jungwoo was sitting down in the living room staring at his laptop with a funny expression. Jaehyun had searched for a while before he found him. Doyoung and Kun had excused themselves and went to talk to Taeyong. That made Jaehyun a bit calmer since he would not have to deal with that man for now. He was still troubled by that nightmare. Jae walked calmly towards Jungwoo with a small smile on his lips. When he got close enough, Jungwoo seemed to have sensed his presence and lifted his gaze, smiling back at Jaehyun. 

"What are you up to?" Jungwoo closed his laptop and set it aside. 

"I need your help." Jaehyun sighed as he sat down.

"What for?" Jungwoo raised his brow. "Is it something illegal?" 

"What? No!" Jaehyun was taken aback. "I just need to find some things out." 

"Like?" 

"First I need to talk to my sister." Jaehyun finally sat down. 

"You said it wasn't illegal!" Jungwoo's tone grew louder. "Are you trying to get us killed?" 

"Why?" 

"We can't just show up there and ask to see her." Jungwoo rolled his eyes. "There are rules!" 

"We need Taeyong then?" 

"Of course!" Jungwoo was annoyed. "He is the only one who can ask for a meeting, _especially_ with them." 

"No way around that?" 

"Did you hit your head somewhere?" Jungwoo began to stand up with his hands coming in Jae's direction. "Do you need me to heal you?" 

Jaehyun leaned back, trying to avoid his touch. 

"You're going to talk to him, aren't you?" Jungwoo was confused. 

"Not now." Jaehyun licked his lips. "First I need to figure things about me." 

"Like who you are?" 

"Yes." 

"Look," Jungwoo looked around and then leaned closer. "Some things are best left untouched and unsaid." 

"Am I evil?" Jaehyun's tone was harsh. 

Jungwoo was silent. 

"I am, aren't I?" Jaehyun continued. "The kind of evil people need to have it in control." 

"Yes and no." 

"What do you mean?" 

"He means that there are certain kinds of evil essences that cannot be controlled." The deep voice sounded behind him. 

Jungwoo bowed and Jaehyun was sure who it was. He turned his head and Taeyong was standing behind him. He looked paler than usual and he had deep dark circles under his eyes. It was a scary sight. Jaehyun stilled at the sight. Seeing Taeyong like that made him sure that something bad had happened, but it made him scared to face him. See his face after all that had happened. 

"Taeyong, I..." 

"You did nothing wrong." Taeyong interrupted Jungwoo and sat down calmly. 

"He wanted to know." Jungwoo lowered his gaze, avoiding Taeyong's eyes. 

"Can I be the one to tell him?" Taeyong smiled. 

Jungwoo silently nodded. 

"Jaehyun-ssi." Taeyong turned to him. "I am still uncertain of what to call you, but what I know is that you are a very complicated entity. A rare one." 

"What do you mean?" Jaehyun's breathing hitched. 

"It is rare to have pure lineages nowadays." Taeyong looked at Jungwoo. "But in your case, you are extremely pure." 

Jaehyun was silent. 

"Your parents were no ordinary people." Taeyong sighed. "They bore an enormous amount of power and there is where it gets complicated." 

"Why?" 

"In some rare cases, when two powerful beings breed, they produce people like you." Taeyong leaned forward, making his cleavage drop and showing his chest. Jaehyun could see purple bruises. "Beings that bear the purest form of each ability." 

"What does that mean?" 

"That you are almost as strong as an original being." 

"You said I came from a lineage of people who controlled light." 

"I did think that was most of who you are, but I'm afraid I was a bit rash with my conclusions." Taeyong sounded regretful. 

"Taeyong." Jungwoo seemed worried. 

"It is okay." Taeyong almost seemed to be in pain, but he still smiled. "He has the right to know." 

"Why am I evil?" 

"I don't want to refer to you like that." Taeyong sighed. "There is far much more than good and evil." 

Jaehyun froze. That sentence. He had heard it before, from that same person. In his nightmare, Taeyong had said that. Jaeyhun's breathing hitched. When Jaehyun looked at Taeyong, his expression was troubled. He looked worried. It was not an expression that suited him. Even though he did not trust that man, he still felt compelled to be near him. To walk closer and closer. He had no idea why he always felt like that. Why he wanted to be so near that kind of danger, but discovering just how strong he was made him think that he was just as dangerous. And that was probably the reason. The fact that their energy was similar. 

"Jaehyun," Jungwoo said softly. 

He turned his gaze and faced the other man. He was scared of both Taeyong and himself. He did not want to be like the man he had seen in that nightmare. He did not want to kill or make people suffer. He just wanted to leave his ordinary life. Regret set in his heart. 

"It can't be controlled, can it?" 

"No." Taeyong sighed. "What is inside of you will come out eventually." 

"And what does that mean?" 

"There is no way of knowing." Taeyong looked to the other side of the room. "There are many possibilities." 

"None of them sound good." Jaehyun tried his best to control his trembling voice.

"As I said, there is far more than good or evil." Taeyong was still staring at the other side of the room. "There is no saying in what you can or cannot do, Jaehyun. You are unpredictable like that. I believe Junmyeon has already told you that." 

"You saw Junmyeon?" Jungwoo seemed shocked. 

"Yes." Jaehyun sighed and ignored Jungwoo's question. "He did." 

"Wait."Jungwoo stood up. "You saw Junmyeon? _The_ Kim Junmyeon?" 

"Yes?" 

"Do you know how long I have lived and how long I have been trying to have a meeting with him?" Jungwoo was clearly annoyed. "And you show up and get a reading just like that? Why is life so unfair?" 

Taeyong laughed and Jaehyun was confused. 

"Junmyeon doesn't normally see people. Very few people have seen him, actually." Taeyong turned to Jaehyun, answering the questions in his head. "You sparked his interest, so I told Doyoung to take you to him." 

Jungwoo stomped his foot and sighed loudly. He looked at Taeyong and then at Jaehyun, and left the room angrily. It felt funny. Jungwoo was a nice person. Jaehyun could feel it and that was why he trusted him, unlike Doyoung and the others. He felt genuine and someone that truly cared about the others, even though he did it in a very intense manner. It still felt good. Jaehyun smiled. He turned back his gaze and looked at Taeyong. He looked tired, even though there was a faint smile on his lips. 

The dark circles under his eyes were a deep purplish color. His skin was extremely pale and Jaehyun was sure he was sick. He wasn't sure if Taeyong could get sick, but he looked like someone who was not at his best. He frowned. It was bothersome to see that man like that. Weak. It did not suit him and made him look frail. Human even. Jaehyun felt stupid. How could he not like to see a human side to Taeyong? See him like someone who needed to be cared for. 

"It was not me, Jaehyun." Taeyong pulled him back to reality. 

Jaehyun swallowed. 

"I did not want to invade your privacy, but I felt you needed to know." Taeyong seemed sad. "It was truly not me."

"Are you sure?" 

Taeyong raised his brow. 

"What you said earlier." Jaehyun cleared his throat. "That there was far more than good and evil." 

"Yes?" 

"You said that in the nightmare." 

Taeyong's body clearly stiffened.

"There is more. _So_ much more." He quoted. 

Taeyong was still silent. 

"We are the same, aren't we?" Jaehyun grinned. "You and I. We are all there is. The true gods, right? We can be and do anything we want." 

"Big words for someone like you." Taeyong's lips were slitted.

"No." Jaehyun smiled. "Those are _your_ words." 

"You are confused, Jaehyun-ssi." Taeyong was the one grinning this time. "Those words left _your_ lips."

Jaehyun was still smiling, but he was stiff. 

"We all have darkness inside of us, some more than others." Taeyong stood up. "The only difference between us is that I am aware of just how much evil is there inside of me." 

Jaehyun was left staring at the departing silhouette of Taeyong. What could he possibly answer to that? He felt a sharp pain in his chest, mainly in his heart. He had offended Taeyong and he knew it. He was silent and yet all he wanted to do was scream. Call him back. There would be no apology, but he could not let him leave like that. Upset. That feeling scared him. The possibility of him leaving and not coming back. Abandonment was always an issue for Jaehyun and somehow that feeling now revolved around Taeyong. 

"Teach me." Jaehyun blurted out. 

Taeyong turned with an unamused expression on his face. 

"Teach me to control it." 

"There is nothing to control." Taeyong raised his brow. "You can only understand it." 

"So teach me how." 

"Come by my office later." Taeyong turned around and left Jaehyun alone in the room. 

Silence ensued and the man was left with his mouth agape, still unsure of why he had said those words. Why he had begged like that. Jaehyun felt that wasn't really him, but it did not make sense for someone to make him say those things. In the end, he knew he had second intentions with those words. 

  
  


Jaehyun marched down the hallway trying to ignore the tossing and turning inside his stomach. He had been like that ever since Taeyong had left earlier. He had clearly been in the wrong, but he could not just admit to it. Not without being certain that Taeyong was trustworthy. Even though there were parts to him that wanted to believe that, there were far more reasons for him not to trust Taeyong. Jaehyun had checked the small clock on the desk in his room and it was around 7 pm when he decided to leave his room. It was the first time he had noticed that clock. Somehow it felt like it had not been there before. Or perhaps he just didn't take a proper look around the room. 

He had walked calmly to the elevator and then down to the floor in which Doyoung and Taeyong's office was. There was no one in the hallways, which felt strange but common at the same time. The house was big, so it was normal not to see people all the time. But this time it felt a bit strange. It was likely because he wanted an excuse to delay his arrival at Taeyong's office. Unfortunately, there was nothing and the door was now in front of him. There was a faint conversation inside the room and Jaehyun leaned against the door and put his ear on it to hear if it was okay for him to come inside. The conversation ceased. Jaehyun frowned. 

The door opened suddenly and Jaehyun fell to the ground, quickly looking up to see who had opened the door. 

"Curious?" Yuta was smiling at him. 

"Come in, Jaehyun-ssi," Taeyong said softly.

Jaehyun stood up quickly and cleaned himself up, allowing himself inside. Yuta had gone back inside and was sitting in one of the chairs. His smile was always unsettling. Taeyong was leaning against his desk, also with a smile on his face. Both men seemed amused. 

"I'm sorry." Jaehyun avoided eye contact as he shut the door. 

He walked silently to one of the chairs and sat down. He still did not look any of the men in the eye. 

"Yuta-ssi and I will help you." 

"I would let it all out if I were you." Yuta laughed. "It would be much more interesting." 

"Yuta." Taeyong sighed. 

"What?" The other man scoffed. "We can all taste the air whenever he comes inside the room."

Jaehyun looked at Yuta nervously.

"You know that taste as well as I do." Yuta was now staring at Taeyong. "Don't you?" 

"I was hoping this would be a friendly conversation." Taeyong sighed. 

"Why am I here?" Jaehyun was curious. 

"You want to see?" Yuta smiled. 

"Yes." 

"Focus on my voice." Yuta smiled darkly. 

The smile grew abnormally wider. It went all the way to his ears, slightly hidden by the locks of loose hair. It looked like blood was dripping from it. Jaehyun could feel the murderous aura around him. It grew thicker by the minute until it dominated the whole office. Jaehyun swallowed. The bloody smile reminded him of Taeyong in his nightmare. The way the blood dripped down and pooled in the bed. He could still feel the wetness in his hand. The taste of blood in his mouth. The way Taeyong's lips felt warm against his. Jaehyun swallowed hard. 

"Do you feel safe?" Yuta grinned and then put some locks behind his ear. 

"No." 

"Good!" He clapped amused and then turned to Taeyong, who nodded. 

Yuta leaned forward and put his hands behind his back, then tilted his head to the front making his hair cover most of his face. The weird smile disappeared between his loose hair, making his image even more bizarre. 

"Am I pretty?" He asked. 

Jaehyun was confused. 

"Am I?" Yuta asked once more.

"Yes?" Jaehyun was extremely confused. 

Yuta laughed and slowly tilted his head back up. The hair that once covered his face was now revealing his gruesome face. What was once just a faded red mark on his cheeks, was now real. The flesh was completely slit. The blood poured down and Jaehyun could see the bones and muscles. He cowered in the chair. Yuta raised his head even more and now Jaehyun could see the sharp teeth that occupied his mouth. It was scary and gruesome. The way Yuta looked at him made him feel threatened like that man would kill him at any moment. Jaehyun looked down to see the pool of blood forming under Yuta's feet as he straightened himself in the chair. The flesh pulsating as he stared at him. 

"What about now?" Yuta asked. 

Jaehyun was silent. 

In just a second, the other man flew across the small table that separated them and pushed Jaehyun's chair back. He pinned him down and put a knife against Jaehyun's mouth, applying pressure against the left side of his mouth. He could taste blood and he knew the knife had dug into the skin of his left cheek and Yuta would make him just like him. Jaehyun was waiting for Taeyong to intervene, but the man remained silent. His eyes darted to Taeyong as he pleaded for help, but he was only smiling at the scene. Clearly pleased. Jaehyun tried to escape the other man's grapes but it was futile. Yuta had him pinned and there was no escaping. 

"Answer me!" He demanded. 

Jaehyun shivered. 

"That's enough, Yuta-ssi." He finally intervened. 

Jaehyun was panting hard and his body was shaking, clearly scared.

"W-What..." Jaehyun could not finish the sentence. 

"Yuta descends from a malignant lineage." Taeyong clicked his tongue. "In theory, there is only evil inside of him. Yet he is a very nice young man." 

"Don't say it like that." Yuta laughed. "You will make me look cute." 

"He has a murderous darkness inside of him." Taeyong walked towards Jaehyun and extended his hand to him. "His whole existence revolves around that." 

Jaehyun stood up and then pulled the heavy chair back up, sitting down right after. He was still shaking. 

"That doesn't mean I don't give in to it." Yuta scoffed. 

"What does that mean?" Jaehyun mumbled. 

"Is there anyone in this house who doesn't have blood on their hands?" Yuta smiled. "It's just a matter of time before yours become as dirty as his." 

Taeyong laughed. 

"You..." Again he couldn't finish his sentence. 

"Yes." Taeyong sighed. "It is true." 

"Once you feel the urge, it is hard to control." Yuta smiled. "But it is possible." 

"How?" 

"You just have to accept that you will not be able to control it at all times." Yuta licked his lips. "Don't try to deny what you truly are. If there are darkness and evil, accept it and from time to time, let it out." 

"How?" Jaehyun inhaled. 

"Well, I kill some bad people when I feel the urge." Yuta laughed. 

"We don't pretend to be the good guys." Taeyong sat down. "We are not. We are still powerful beings that have certain needs and desires. We also have a part to play in the balance of things." 

"So killing people is acceptable?" 

"In certain cases, yes." Taeyong smiled at Jaehyun. 

"And who are you to say which cases are right or wrong?" Jaehyun was mad. 

"I am just a piece of the puzzle." Taeyong licked his lips. "I do what I do and accept the consequences of my actions."

"He doesn't mind death." Yuta laughed. 

_I did not mind watching the bloodbath._

_I am a mere spectator._

Jaehyun stared at him angrily while remembering the things he had said in his nightmare.

Jaehyun looked at both men in front of him. They were so different but in the end, they were all alike, evil. But they seemed to have an understanding of it that he did not share. Or maybe he was naive. He had tortured Doyoung and in the end, he had to control himself to stop. To not kill him. He knew he could, he had the power to. But he didn't. He somehow managed to stop. The room was silent as the three men stared at each other. 

"That face is familiar." Yuta laughed loudly. 

"What face?" 

"The one people make when they see what we really are." Yuta grinned. 

"He can judge if he wants," Taeyong said calmly. "He is in his right." 

Jaehyun let out a soft smile. One he was not expecting. 

"Whether you believe you are evil or good." Taeyong leaned closer. "We will be here to help you." 

"You're boring." Yuta rolled his eyes. 

"You may leave, Yuta-ssi." Taeyong smiled. "Thank you for your help."

Yuta looked relieved. He stood up and bowed lightly to Taeyong. He then turned to Jaehyun and gave him a dark look. He was having his fun and Jaehyun was still scared of him. He truly looked like someone calm, but in the end, he had a very threatening aura around him. As he left the office, the room became calmer. It was an odd feeling, seeing that the two remaining people were just as bad as the man that had left. Yet, Jaehyun was able to relax for the first time in a while. Taeyong somehow had that effect on him. It was a conflicting feeling. Not trusting him and at the same time feeling at ease around him. 

Taeyong sighed and leaned back on his chair. Jaehyun could see he was tired and somewhat sick. Whatever had happened that night took a toll on him. Jae was beginning to believe that he indeed wasn't the one in his nightmare. That someone set that illusion there. Maybe even himself. It was the same person that had spoken with him in the hallway earlier and that insisted on calling him "sweetheart". No one knew about it. They didn't know how hurtful it was for him to silently hear that word and choose to ignore it. Ignore the most painful memory he had. A memory so faded that it was merely a sound. Jaehyun felt a lump form in his throat. 

"Are you alright?" Taeyong's tone was filled with concern. 

"You listened?" 

"No." Taeyong widened his eyes, probably offended by the remark. "But you do look like you are about to cry." 

The first tear did not even feel real. It just tickled his cheek, but then, one after the other, they streamed down. Jaehyun did not even know why he was crying, but his face was now completely wet. The low sobs made him shake lightly. His hands covered his face, as he tried to regain control of himself. But the tears just continued to fall. They slowly streamed down his face and onto his shirt, pants, and the floor. The room was silent, apart from the sobs and sniffles Jaehyun would make from time to time. Suddenly a hand touched his thigh, making him startled. He lowered his hands, only to see Taeyong crouching in front of him. 

He had puppy eyes filled with concern. A sight so calming and beautiful, he even forgot how to breathe for a few seconds. The light touch on his thigh making him restless and fearful. He did not fear Taeyong, but what he felt towards him at that moment. The same thing he had felt in his room on that first night, that hallway, and in his nightmare. That forbidden desire and the urge to close the distance between them. Jaehyun did not really care that he could be listening. He would never say those things out loud, so he could only imagine them. Feel it. 

"Are you okay?" Taeyong had softness in his tone. 

"I duh-don't know wah-why I'm a-crying," Jaehyun said between sobs. 

"Don't worry." Taeyong smiled and rubbed his thigh. "You can cry if you want."

Jaehyun sniffled. 

"Things can get overwhelming sometimes. I know." He continued rubbing his thigh. "But you are not alone." 

Jaehyun was not stupid. He definitely wasn't. But he was a complete idiot at that moment. Things were far too overwhelming as they were, but he had gone for the worst choice possible. Taeyong was extremely close and the way he comforted him, was too alluring. Jaehyun had ignored all his good judgment and leaned down. Close enough to kiss the other man. Their lips touched and for a second the whole house seemed to shake. Jaehyun ignored the turmoil inside himself and let that moment last. And it did last quite a while. There was no movement other than their breaths. Just those two lips lightly touching each other and making him doubt his decision. Taeyong inhaled deeply and then backed away first. It took Jaehyun a few seconds to open his eyes and when he did, Taeyong was frowning in front of him. 

"Don't." He said softly. 

"I'm sorry," Jaehyun mumbled with shame. 

Taeyong said nothing.

"I'm sorry, "Jaehyun mumbled again. 

Taeyong sat on the floor and sighed loudly. 

"Did you see the nightmare?" Jaehyun said with a small voice. 

"Yes."

"It wasn't you?" 

"What you saw was something you have inside yourself." Taeyong looked up. "It took my form to make it easier to control you. But that was _you_." 

"I'm scared." Jaehyun finally admitted.

Taeyong was silent, but he was staring at Jaehyun with a complicated expression. Jaehyun sniffled a few more times, trying to look less pathetic as he dried his tears.

"Why?" He said at last. 

"Because I wish I wasn't part of this as much as I wish I was." Jaehyun stared at his hands. "I am afraid of what would have happened if I never came and of what will happen from now on."

"Jaehyun" Taeyong's tone was almost desperate. 

"I want to stay." He sighed. "But I can't ignore the fact that I want to leave as well." 

"Are you afraid of me?" 

Jaehyun finally lifted his head and stared at the other man. He could not answer that. Not because he was afraid of how Taeyong would feel, but because he truly did not know. He didn't know a lot of things about this new world and he was unsure of what Taeyong's true intentions were. His thoughts were interrupted by a touch. Taeyong had carefully put his hand on Jaehyun's thigh again. He seemed reluctant, but he did it anyway. Jaehyun could only stare. 

"Are you?" Taeyong's tone was deep. 

"No." Jaehyun lied.

"Don't lie." Taeyong looked at him with dark eyes. 

This time it was stronger. Rougher. It was exactly like in his nightmare. Jaehyun could not move, just accept whatever was done to him. Yet he wanted it and wanted more. Taeyong bit into his bottom lip and pulled him closer, throwing Jaehyun on the floor and making him groan from the pain. Taeyong then pinned him down, suddenly pulling away while panting. They stared into each other's eyes and there it was. The problem of it all. He could see the faint blue glow on the back of Taeyong's eyes. This was the worst idea he had ever had, but there he was. Staring back at that man and ignoring the fact that they were both never meant to be like that.

Jaehyun grinned. 

He looked at Taeyong and he saw the world around him melt. Images flashed through his eyes. They were all blurry and faded, but somehow Jaehyun felt as if those images did not belong to him. He could feel the sun and the cold even though they were all blurry. He could smell the ocean and the trees. The images began to fade even more, but Jaehyun wanted more. He wanted to see, to feel. His body seemed like he was having an electric current run through his body. There was suddenly more. The images became clearer and he could see the ocean. The wind blowing in his face. Jaehyun was forcing himself to see. Taeyong groaned and that made Jaehyun blink his way out of that place. 

They were staring at each other intensely. Both men panting. Taeyong shook his head and Jaehyun could see the confusion in his face. He had a slight idea of what had happened, but he could not ask. Not like this. His eyes began to burn and a chill went up to his spine. Taeyong put his hands on Jaehyun's neck and tilted to the side. He lowered himself and bit hard into the skin. Jaehyun's body jerked from the pleasure mixed with pain. The burning sensation was making his eyes tear up, so he closed them. 

All sound disappeared. Taeyong's weight on top of him disappeared. There was only darkness. Jaehyun knew his eyes were open, but he could not see anything. He felt something brushing against the skin of his arm. It felt like hair or fur. He could not say. He tried speaking but there was no sound whatsoever. He turned around frantically and at last, he saw. His body trembled from fear and shock. The image of total and complete despair. The darkness faded and he began to see his surroundings. He was standing on top of a pile of bones. It was high as a building and there was a blue and red fire burning all around him. Jaehyun felt the sudden brush against his skin once more. He looked down. 

His sister. 

She had a white-dressed drenched in blood and with black stains all over. She was crying blood as she begged him. Jaehyun could not understand what she was saying, but he knew she was begging him something. Her hands suddenly dropped and she fell backward. Rolling down the giant pile of bones. Jaehyun tried calling her name, but he could not hear anything. She disappeared into the mess of bones and fire. He looked up again and he saw. He saw them. Him and Taeyong. Smiling at him. The red glow in their eyes. Jaehyun began shaking violently. He could not look away. 

_This is your future._

That familiar voice ringed in his ears. It sounded odd. Like his own voice, but deeper. 

_Our future._

Taeyong's voice ringed inside his head. Our. Both of them were nothing more than destruction. 

_Jaehyun._

Someone was calling him.

_Jaehyun._

He wanted to follow the sound. 

_Jaehyun,_

He closed his eyes and focused on that soothing voice.

Jaehyun opened his eyes and could feel Taeyong shaking him. His eyes were no longer blue but the room was slightly dark. The room was silent apart from their raspy breathing. Jaehyun felt the shiver run down his spine, but he smiled. Taeyong tilted his head and then stared at Jaehyun with lips parted. The room became darker and darker. He could see that Taeyong wanted to look elsewhere, but he couldn't break the will to gaze at Jaehyun. He knew that. He felt it. Taeyong was stretching his neck and Jaehyun could see his veins turn black. Like poison. It was him. He knew it. 

"Kiss me," Jaehyun ordered. 

Taeyong looked reluctant, but he leaned down and kissed Jaehyun hard. Their tongues intertwining inside his mouth. Their breathing hitched. Jaehyun's body jerked up at the intensity. Taeyong's fingers traveled up and down through his body, making him pleased. His hands slowly traveled up as he bit into Jaehyun's lips. He then licked every inch of it and then Jaehyun felt it. Taeyong's hands were on his neck and he broke their kiss. 

"What is this?" Taeyong's voice was hoarse. 

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself." 

"You...." Taeyong hissed.

"What about me, Lee Taeyong?" Jaehyun was angry. "Are you going to say I'm the one to blame?" 

"Jaehyun," Taeyong strongly pinned him down. "Calm down." 

"Calm down?" Jaehyun laughed. 

Taeyong stopped and focused. 

"Don't." Jaehyun lifted his head and was now inches from Taeyong again. 

"Finally." Taeyong grinned. 

Jaehyun arched his eyebrow.

"You are truly something else." Taeyong let go of his neck. "I am amazed." 

"And why is that?!" Jaehyun tilted his head, the smile on his face was showing his amusement.

"Why, sweetheart?" Taeyong licked his lips. "Do you take me for an idiot?" 

Jaehyun's body stiffened.

"Idiot? No." Jaehyun laughed trying to conceal his annoyance with the word. "Naive would be more accurate." 

"Naive? That is rude." Taeyong's eyes grew darker. "Considering the fact we are the same."

Jaehyun did not let it show, but he was shocked. Taeyong was still and his eyes were completely black. He was staring at Jaehyun with a malicious grin on his lips. A small line of blood pouring from the side of his lips as he smiled at Jaehyun. The small droplets falling on the floor. It was like his nightmare. Exactly like it. The voice, the man, the blood, the smile. Everything was the same. The problem was that Taeyong had been telling the truth. This was not him. It was something else. Someone else. Jaehyun has not amused anymore. 

"Don't you want me, sweetheart?" He said at last.


	9. IX

Jaehyun licked his lips and stared at Taeyong. He was annoyed and could listen to his own screams coming from deep inside of him. The young and foolish Jaehyun. The drops of blood made their way to his clothes, almost drenching it. The room smelled metallic and Jaehyun grimaced. That was not Taeyong. He was sure. But it did not change the fact that it was complicated to see him like that, saying those things. Calling him like that. His words came back to his ears and he closed his eyes. Jaehyun inhaled sharply. The images were beginning to come back, but this time they were more vivid and it was not an ocean in front of him.

The room was silent. Jaehyun opened his eyes again and Taeyong was gone. He was alone in that room. Jae sighed. He focused back again and he could see faint shadows in front of him. They were standing near where Taeyong's desk stood. Their faces were blurred and it all felt familiar. It was exactly like the illusion he had seen when those girls went missing. The illusion the third sister had shown him. Strange men with blurred faces. Jaehyun was certain they were the same people. 

"He is strong" A strange voice spoke. 

"We cannot control him for longer." Another person spoke. A man.

"We have to bring him to our side." The person stopped. "It's the only way." 

"That is your job!" The man seemed angry. 

"Wait." There was background noise, but he could not grasp exactly what it was. "Someone is here." 

The scene in front of him dissipated like fog. The room was normal again and Taeyong was sitting on the ground. He was mumbling something Jaehyun couldn't fully understand. He sat facing the other man and tilted his head. Taeyong slowly opened his eyes and seemed to be trying to focus on his surroundings. He looked confused. 

"Taeyong?" Jaehyun tried to sound worried. "Are you okay?"

"What happened?" His voice was hoarse. 

"You don't remember?" Jaehyun held back the urge to grin. 

Taeyong groaned as he tried to move. Jaehyun moved close to him, but the other man's stare as he came close made him stop. 

"Do you want me to call someone?" Jaehyun was annoyed but decided to be a brat as well. "Doyoung?"

"Don't." Taeyong hissed as he gazed up at the other man. 

Jaehyun stood up. 

"Help me to the couch." He had a faint smile on his lips. 

Taeyong sat on the couch and his head leaned back. Jaehyun could sense things were wrong but he did not dare to speak again. He could only stare at the other man who seemed exhausted. Jaehyun placed his hand on Taeyong's thigh making the other man tilt his head forward and face him. He inhaled and exhaled calmly and then let a small smile take over his lips. 

"Once it comes out." He had a hoarse voice. "It will never go back." 

"Sorry." Jaehyun grinned sarcastically. 

"I hope you understand the consequences of your actions." Taeyong offered another smile. 

"Consequences?" Jaehyun raised his brow. "You think too highly of yourself, don't you?"

"I suggest you think twice before speaking to me in such a manner." Taeyong coughed. "We all have limits."

"These are the consequences of _your_ actions, Taeyong." Jaehyun finally stood up. "The consequences of ignoring my say in any of this."

Taeyong was silent. 

"Doyoung was right, you know?" Jaehyun looked down on the other man. "You are incredibly selfish." 

"You should rest." Taeyong sighed. "We can talk about this later." 

"We won't." Jaehyun laughed as he walked to the door. "We don't have anything else to talk about." 

Jaehyun did not look back as he slammed the door shut. His chest tightened as the loud bang ringed in his ears, but he just continued walking. Ignoring the pain. He knew why it hurt. His other side, the one who had been screaming all along, was deeply hurt by that whole interaction. Sadly, it was not in charge anymore. Not at this moment. He could feel everything that the small side felt, but he could ignore it. He could let it sink deep inside of him and let it slowly disappear. However, he could not ignore the screaming. 

_Please._

Jaehyun shook his head and ignored the begging and pleading inside of him. For a second he considered the possibility of silencing it. Ignoring the existence of that side of him. This one was strong and had power in its hand. He could do what he wanted. But he knew there was a cost to it. One he was not willing to pay. Not for now. Taeyong's face came back to his mind. Jaehyun lifted his fingers and rubbed his lips, still feeling the warmth. It made him smile. In a few minutes he was back in his room and he just laid in his bed again. The ticking of the clock slowly put him to sleep. The darkness embracing him slowly. 

"But don't you remember anything?" Hyung-sik asked. 

"Nothing." Jaehyun stared into the sun. 

The two boys had been laying on the grass by the river enjoying the sun and the breeze. No one ever came to that place and that was why they were able to lay down and enjoy. Jaehyun's skin glowed brighter on the sunny days, so they always went down to that little spot to make sure no one saw and that he could enjoy a bit of sunlight. His pale white skin welcomed the sunlight and made that blinding glow happen. It made him smile. 

"There is actually one thing I remember." He said out of the blue. 

"What?" 

"The way they called me." Jaehyun laughed. 

"How they called you?" Hyung-sik was confused. "You can only remember a word?" 

"Yes." Jaehyun turned to his friend who had been sitting beside him on the grass. 

"That's a bit sad." Hyung-sik stared ahead at the river. "Don't you think?" 

"It's the only memory I have." He closed his eyes. "And I like it." 

"My mom had a soft voice." He smiled. "And my dad had a deep but soothing voice." 

"What is the word?" 

"Not saying it." Jaehyun laughed. "You're going to call _noona_ like that and I will get jealous." 

"SHUT UP!" Hyung-sik warned. 

Jaehyun laughed again and closed his eyes, bathing in the sunlight. 

"Don't you think it's strange?" Hyung-sik interrupted. 

"What?" 

"How your aunt never tells you anything about them." He clicked his tongue. "Almost like she is avoiding the subject." 

"I think it's because she is sad." Jaehyun hummed. "She is always talking to herself. Asking for forgiveness like she did something bad. Like she blamed herself." 

"Do you think so?" 

"I don't know actually." Jaehyun laughed. "She doesn't really like to talk about them and she got angry when I found something that belonged to them." 

"What was it?" Hyung-sik was curious. 

"A pocket mirror." Jaehyun tilted his head and shook it lightly. "But she grabbed it as soon as I touched it. It was weird." 

"Why?" 

"Because it looked like I had done the worst thing possible." Jaehyun clicked his tongue. "She was so desperate about it. It was strange." 

"Did you get it back?" 

"What?" Jaehyun looked at his friend. 

"The mirror!" Hyung-sik rolled his eyes. "Did you get it back?" 

"No." Jaehyun was offended. "She put it back in the drawer." 

"That's it?" Hyung-sik was shocked. "You left it there? Never touched it again?" 

"It scared me."

"What? Why?" Hyung-sik was confused. 

Jaehyun sat back up. He pulled his legs closer and hugged them while he stared at the river. The noise of the water made everything seem more tranquil, even though their little town was already very calm and uneventful. It was a simple, but good life. He inhaled deeply and looked at the grass creeping between his bare toes. 

"Because I could hear someone calling my name." 

"WHAT?" Hyung-sik said loudly. 

"It was strange." Jaehyun frowned. "I could clearly hear someone calling me and I looked around the house. For some reason, I opened the drawer and it got stronger. The voice called me even louder." 

Hyung-sik was clearly scared. 

"It wanted me to open it. I could feel it." Jaehyun sighed. "I was too scared to do it. So I just closed the drawer and ignored it." 

"Can you still hear it?" Hyung-sik was shaking lightly. "The voices." 

"I still hear them from time to time, but I ignore them. 

Jaehyun sank back onto the grass and closed his eyes. He could hear the voices loud and clear. He knew exactly how they sounded. Yet he chose to ignore them. Not because he feared them, but because he was afraid they would tell him who he was. The way they called his name. Not any name. The one who was a secret. The one no one knew about, yet they called him like that. They wanted him. If he was not careful, he could feel the fingers climbing up the back of his neck, brushing lightly against the skin. Sometimes rough, sometimes soft. But always the same path. From the base of his spine and up to his neck. 

The ticking of the clock slowly pulled Jaehyun out of his dream. He was still unsure when that clock had been put there, but somehow it now felt good. Jaehyun turned his head and blinked a few times before he could fully focus. The clock was marking 6:37 am. He sighed and pulled the covers over his head. After a few seconds, he pushed the covers down and sat on the bed. The mirror next to the bed was empty. Thankfully. No reflection and nothing out of the ordinary. His room was peaceful. Jaehyun inhaled and exhaled deeply. 

He turned and slowly got up. His body was aching. He sighed and walked up to the mirror. Jaehyun looked tired. There were small dark circles under his eyes. He slightly turned his head and saw the small purple bruise on his neck. He remembered the night before when Taeyong bit him. Jaehyun blushed. Before everything happened Taeyong had bit into his neck. It was something he had never felt before. He had never had that sort of interaction with someone. So intense and so sexual. It was different, but it was good. Jaehyun shook his head. 

Calmly, he walked up to his closet and picked out a turtleneck shirt. It was certainly not that cold yet, but he could not let anyone see that bruise. It would bring up questions that he could not answer. His usual all-black outfit was chosen and set on his bed, so he entered his bathroom and headed for the shower. The water washed the exhaustion away. Hitting every inch of skin and making him relax. Jaehyun closed his eyes for most of it, just letting the waterfall on his back and his head. Letting it wash away his worries. Jaehyun knew he was slightly back to normal. No more screaming or pleading. He was himself again. Or at least he was the part that had been pin charge for most of his life.

 _Sweetheart._

The voice echoed in the room. Jaehyun ignored it. That word was far more painful than anyone could imagine. It was now connected with bad feelings and memories. It was nothing but pain. He kept his eyes closed and his head under the water. It called him a few more times before it silenced itself and left him alone. Jaehyun turned the shower off, grabbed a towel, and headed out while wrapping it around his waist. Yuta was in his room. 

"Sexy." He laughed. 

Jaehyun paid no mind. 

"Still mad at me?" 

"I was never mad at you." Jaehyun picked up his shirt. "I'm just tired." 

"Aren't we all?" Yuta sat on the edge of the bed. "But you're not getting any rest."

"Why?" 

"You earned the right to tag along." Yuta licked his lips. 

"Where?" 

"We have work to do." He cracked his knuckles. 

"And what would that be?" Jaehyun frowned. 

"We have to check on other Families." Yuta stood up. "Make sure everything is going accordingly and they are following the rules." 

"Why do we have to do that?" 

"Because people trust us enough for this." Yuta grinned.

"And what if I say no?" Jaehyun tested his limits. 

"I haven't killed someone in a while, you know?" Yuta licked his lips and smiled darkly. 

Jaehyun sighed. 

Jaehyun had only been in the garage once and he didn't really pay attention. This time it was different. As he followed the other men, he observed the many cars parked around. They were all very expensive and luxurious. Some big, others very much like the ones from movies and others just ordinary. They walked for a few seconds before they reached one of the big cars. It was tall and imposing. It's black paint reflected the white lights from the ceiling. He and Yuta had met up with Johnny and Mark when they got to the garage. The four men got into the car and Johnny slowly pulled into the streets. 

It was early in the morning and people already looked like busy ants heading to all sorts of places. The day was greyish, indicating that it would soon become even colder until winter finally arrived with the cold and the snow. Jaehyun's head hurt slightly. He liked looking out of the window to see the streets and the people. It was far too different from what he had experienced in his life. It was lively and busy. 

"We are visiting the SPA first?" Johnny spoke. 

"Yes," Mark answered. "They said they had some problems over the weekend?" 

"Like?" 

"Sketchy people." Mark sighed. "The usual." 

"Did they get someone?" Yuta asked. 

"Probably." Mark sighed again. 

"Wrong person?" Johnny frowned. 

"Likely." 

"Let's check on them first and then head for the others," Yuta said at last. 

The other men talked for a long time after that. Jaehyun only listened, but their conversation topics were a bit strange and nonrelevant to him. Johnny was a bit more silent, while Mark and Yuta talked a lot. Their interactions made them look like very old friends and they probably were. Jaehyun missed Hyung-sik. The only friend he had ever had and now he had no idea how he was doing or even if he missed him. He sighed silently. 

The car stopped at a parking lot and they readily got out. The whole place had a certain smell. Like fish. It did smell like the fish market. They walked up to the back door and Yuta led them inside. It was stuffy and hot. The fish smell was even stronger inside. They walked past many doors until they turned left and headed down a long hallway. The walls were decorated with paintings that depicted women playing in the water, mermaids, and other sea creatures. They were extremely beautiful to look at. Yuta finally stopped in front of a door before knocking lightly. 

The doors opened and they went inside the office. There were four women inside. Two sat on the edges of the big white office desk in the middle of the room while one was sitting down behind it while another woman whispered something in her ear. They were all extremely beautiful but there was something off about them. Yuta walked up to the desk and bowed with the other men. 

"Madam." Yuta smiled at the woman sitting down. 

"Yuta-ssi." She smiled back. "You're early." 

"I cannot ignore a request from you." He clicked his tongue. "I came as soon as possible." 

"I see you brought someone." She looked at Jaehyun. 

"Yes." Yuta turned to face Jaehyun and gestured for him to walk to the front. "This is our newest member." 

"Jaehyun." He bowed again. "It's a pleasure to meet you." 

"Handsome." A black-haired woman laughed and the others giggled along. 

"These are Lalisa, Chae-young, and Jennie." She gestured at the other women. "I'm Jisoo." 

"Pleasure to meet you all." He bowed to them as well. 

"You said something had happened over the weekend." Mark finally spoke. 

"Yes." She had a grimace on her face. "There was a disturbance late at night on Sunday." 

"Can you tell me what happened?" Mark asked. 

Jisoo got up and walked up to the front of the desk. Her blue flowy dress touched the ground and it almost looked like fish scales when the light hit it. It was truly beautiful. 

"We received a group on Sunday morning." Jisoo began. "All male."

"Disgusting." Lalisa scoffed with a grimace. 

"They asked for services and we provided," Chae-young spoke. "But then they said things to our daughters." 

"What happened?" Johnny asked. 

"Called them names." Jisoo looked angry. 

"Names they should not have known about." Jennie finally spoke. "Ancient ones."

"They knew what you were," Mark said. 

"The children were afraid and called us." Lalisa grinned. "We made sure they never came back." 

"But someone else came." Jaehyun grabbed everyone's attention. 

"Yes." Jisoo sighed. "Two men." 

Jaehyun's body stiffened. 

"Came late at night, after we had already closed and threatened us." Chae-young hissed. "Said they would rid the world of our kind." 

"And what did you do?" Yuta was serious. 

They were silent. 

"Tell me you didn't curse them." Mark sighed. 

"It did not work." Jennie was serious. "It did not latch onto them." 

"What do you mean?" Johnny was confused. 

"We cursed them." Jisoo sighed. "But somehow it did not stick to them and the next day the water was flowing red. We had to close for an entire day to purify our water sources and it's still not back to normal." 

Yuta hummed. 

"Can you describe those men?" Johnny asked. 

"No." Lalisa was dry. "Somehow their faces were distorted and we cannot remember it properly." 

Jaehyun swallowed. It was always the same. Faces people could not see. Illusions and tricks to confuse the mind. This time they did not take people, but they threatened them. For some reason, they did not dare to take someone from these women. But why did they do it like this? Was it because they did not fit their plan or because they had something bigger planned for them. It did not make sense. None of it did. They still did not know who those men were or what was their plan, but they had been in contact with a lot of people. Powerful people. 

He did not realize when people had left the room, but he was now alone. The door was ajar but there was no one around. He walked up to the door, but a strange sound made him stop. A muffled voice. He turned his head around and faced the white desk. His mind was numb as he walked towards it. The sound grew more intense with each step he took. It had a melody to it. It was alluring. Too good to be ignored. Jaehyun walked around the table and opened the first drawer on the left side of the desk. There was a silver mirror facing down. He reached out and turned it around to face the reflection. The melody grew louder. The soft hum in his ears. 

His reflection was there along with its blue eyes. Staring at him with a grin. Jaehyun smiled back. It was trapped and needed a way to come out. He needed him to free it and they both knew. For the first time, he was not afraid but amused. Something had happened for it to be trapped inside, not able to escape and annoy him with nightmares and words. Jaehyun felt satisfied. 

Jaehyun grinned. 

The reflection smiled back. Blue eyes and sharp teeth glaring at him. 

"You want to get out, don't you?" Jaehyun licked his lips.

"Do you want me to beg?" His reflection licked its pointy teeth. 

"Yes." Jaehyun laughed. 

"I don't really need to." It laughed. "You will let me out eventually." 

"You're right." Jaehyun lowered the mirror. "But not now." 

The mad laugh inside the mirror sent a shiver up his spine, but he did not let it see. He put the mirror back into the drawer and closed it with a smile on his lips. He somehow had gained a certain amount of control and that was good. He still did not know how he had done it or if it was all a trick, but he was letting it go for the time being. Jaehyun walked out of the room and down the hallway trying to find the other people. It took him a while and a few dead ends to reach the main hall of the SPA. Everyone turned to him when he arrived but did not say a word. They did not look happy. 

"It's pungent." Mark had a disgusted face. 

"It's been like that ever since." Jisoo was annoyed. "We clean it and by the next morning it goes back to this." 

"Is this blood?" Jaehyun asked. 

"No." Yuta frowned. "It looks like something putrid." 

"It's affecting business." Jisoo hissed. 

"I'll ask Kun-ssi to drop by to help you with the water situation." Yuta smiled. 

Jisoo hummed. 

"We still need to find out who those men are." Johnny was serious. 

"It's a distraction," Jaehyun said in a small voice. 

"Are you sure?" Mark sounded confused. 

"Yes." 

"How?" Yuta smiled and Jaehyun could almost feel the sarcasm. 

He walked up to one of the pools. As Kun said, water never lied. Jaehyun just needed to come close enough to be sure. It would be a bit pathetic if nothing happened, but somehow he knew it would work. If this was something evil, it would come to him. That was how things worked. The room was silent and he could feel the eyes on him. Jaehyun took a deep breath and dipped his index finger into the water. Nothing really happened at first and he felt a bit embarrassed. He ignored the looks he was probably receiving and focused. There were a soft humming and all the redness from the water concentrated where his index had dipped. It swirled around it, almost like it was alive. 

The red slowly became darker until it was black, almost opaque. It latched onto Jaehyun's finger and then it went up to his arm. It was gooey and disgusting, still, he let it go up. It made sucking sounds and played along the skin under his shirt. He could feel it climbing up. It got all the way to his neck and then went back to his spine. Jaehyun was almost laughing, as he felt ticklish. It was a playful little disgusting thing. It slowly made its way down his leg, finally coming out through the hem of his pants and onto the floor. The moment it touched the floor it let out a wail and melted onto the floor. Jaehyun had no idea what that was, but it had just died.

No one dared to make a sound. There was actually nothing to say, but he had just proved his point. Whatever was in the water was bad and liked something as bad as him. And it disappeared quite easily, so it was certainly something simple that was put there to annoy them and take their minds off other important things. Yuta still had that dark smile on his lips, which made Jaehyun smile back. Jisoo and the other women were frowning while Mark and Johnny looked taken aback. He did not really mind. He was a bit shocked as well, but it had worked. What he had done? He had no idea. What was that thing? He had no idea as well. But it was dealt with. 

There was another hum and Jaehyun looked at the water. He should have seen it coming. Water could function as a mirror as well, so he did not know why he was shocked to see his reflection there grinning at him. It had become truly annoying. That manic laughter sounding in the room. Unfortunately, it was loud enough for people to hear and they were even more shocked at this point. Jaehyun was extremely annoyed. He would be the one that would have to deal with the aftermath, not that blued eyed reflection of his. It did feel safer that way, but he could not hide his annoyance towards that thing. 

"Care to explain?" Mark raised his brow. 

"I can't." Jaehyun shrugged. "I have no idea what I did or what that was."

"I hardly doubt it," Jisoo spoke. 

"I will send Kun-ssi as soon as possible, Madam." Yuta intervened. "We must get going." 

They all bowed and excused themselves. They walked down to the back door and out to the parking lot. Jaehyun was silent like the other men. 

"Interesting little trick." Yuta broke the silence. 

"Thank you." Jaehyun licked his lips. 

"You knew it was bad." Yuta tilted his head. "You felt it." 

"Not really." Jaehyun shrugged. "It was more of a hunch." 

"Strangely accurate." 

"Do you have something on your mind?" Jaehyun was annoyed. 

"You two." Johnny intervened. "Get inside! We still have places to go to." 

The car ride was silent as well. Jaehyun did not want to fight with Yuta, especially after what he had shown him the day before. He was not an ordinary man and he could be extremely threatening if he wanted to. Getting him angry was not something he wanted, so Jaehyun just remained silent as they got to their second location. The car stopped in a parking lot in front of a small forest somewhere in the city and all men exited. There were tall trees and you could certainly get lost if you were not careful. Yuta walked ahead and everyone followed. Jaehyun was left behind. The small forest was on the base of a mountain that looked imponent amidst the modern buildings in the distance. 

They entered the forest and headed down a winding path. As they walked down, the trees seemed to get even closer and make the path darker, even though it was still early in the day. The noisy city was now far behind but Jaehyun couldn't even hear an animal singing or some sort of noise you would expect from a forest. Even a park. There was nothing but their footsteps on the dirt and their breathing. 

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a clearing. There was a very large cottage in the middle and it somehow felt like something out of a fairy tale. That house couldn't be there. The forest did not seem big enough for them to walk so much or even have a clearing like that, yet there they were. Facing the wooden cottage. They walked up to the door and Yuta knocked softly on the door. After a few seconds, a man wearing round glasses opened the door. He was wearing a robe and had a cup of tea in his hand. He looked unamused. 

"Yuta-ssi." He said in a monotonous tone. 

"Minghao-ssi." Yuta bowed. "What a pleasure to see you." 

"Yes, yes." Minghao shrugged. "Come on in." 

The moment he walked in, Jaehyun was baffled. The house was much larger than it seemed from outside. It looked like his own house. Extremely big and well decorated. It looked like it was a rule to have a luxurious and well-decorated home. Minghao led them inside and made his way to what seemed like a large living room. He gestured at the room and everyone sat down. He still looked unamused and slightly bothered by their presence. 

"Has business been going well?" Yuta was granted his attention. 

"If there is something humans like is vices and the cure to their addictions." Minghao sipped on his teacup. "We grant them both." 

Yuta laughed. Johnny and Mark grinned at the remark but remained silent. 

"Seung-Chol is not home." He adjusted his glasses. "Soonyoung and Jeonghan will be talking to you." 

"And the others?" 

"I don't keep track of 12 whereabouts." Minghao was clearly annoyed. 

A few footsteps could be heard and then a blonde and a brown-haired man appeared in the room. Jaehyun assumed those were Soonyoung and Jeonghan. They looked at the other men and scoffed. There was clearly a superiority complex in that house. The two men walked up to Minghao and sat by his side. 

"Such heavy energy." Soonyoung rolled his eyes. 

"Not all of us have the luxury of being adorable little creatures." Yuta laughed. 

"Always charming, Soonyoung-ssi." Mark rolled his eyes. 

He raised his brow. 

"What Soonyoung meant was that we are greatly affected by any change within the pure energy of the house." The man who was probably Jeonghan intervened. "I'm sure you understand."

"Please." Yuta grinned. "Don't think too highly of yourselves." 

"Let's get this over with." Minghao sighed. "I have work to do." 

"What exactly happened?" Mark asked. 

"Someone won a game against Seungkwan." 

Mark did not answer this time. 

"Whoever it was, they kept winning even though we controlled the game," Jeonghan said at last. "So Seungkwan invited them to his table." 

"Two men." Yuta hissed. 

"Yes," Minghao answered.

Things were beginning to feel familiar once more. An illusion would follow and no one would ever know who those men were. Jaehyun sighed. 

"And they won again." A new voice sounded in the room. 

"Seungkwan-ssi." Yuta bowed slightly. 

"I'm always amused when someone wins against me in a game." He laughed. "It's rare." 

"Do you know those men?" Yuta asked. 

"I knew the moment they set foot in that room that they were not normal, even though they tried to act as if they were." He sat down. "They knew who I was."

"Everyone in our world does." Yuta sounded unamused.

Seungkwan laughed. 

"That is true." He nodded. "But they knew exactly _who_ I was." 

Jaehyun could see Mark, Johnny, and Yuta's expressions turn into a grimace almost at the same time. 

"They knew far too much for their own good." Jeonghan was annoyed. "Especially since they weren't like us." 

"Humans?" Mark was intrigued. 

"I am not sure what they were." Seungkwan gestured with his hands. Intensely. "But something was extremely off."

"Do you remember anything else?" Yuta was clearly annoyed. 

"I will have to disappoint you." Seungkwan smiled. "This is all I can say." 

"Jungwoo is more than capable of working with that." Yuta smiled back. 

Their conversation continued for a few more minutes. Jaehyun did not understand the topics that were being discussed, only that their Family was somehow connected to fairies. It was weird and those men were very far from what he imagined fairies would ever look like, but nothing in this world was like he had imagined. Even himself. Jaehyun always considered himself just another person in the world. One with a few problems, but still part of that world. And now he felt detached. Disconnected from the world he knew and still not a part of the world he had been inserted into. 

"Please tell us if you remember anything else." Yuta smiled as he stood up. 

The four men hummed and nodded. Yuta and his men bowed and then turned to leave. Jaehyun was hanging in the back as always. He could still listen to their conversation. 

"Did you really need to make that theatrical entrance?" Soonyoung was annoyed. 

"What exactly was theatrical about that?" Seungkwan asked in an acid tone.

" _And they won again._ " Soonyoung had a very sarcastic tone. "You could have just said they annoyed you and made you angry." 

"Angry for so little." Jeonghan laughed. 

"Little? That was extremely disrespectful!" Seungkwan growled. "Of course I would get angry."

"Okay, okay." Soonyoung laughed. "Don't get angry, _sweetheart._ " 

"I've told you not to repeat that!" There were a loud thump noise and more laughter. 

Jaehyun's body stiffened. There was a lump in his throat and his stomach turned. The room became small almost to the point of crushing him. He couldn't breathe properly and he inhaled deeply. He couldn't focus and his thoughts were erratic. No one had heard that word. No one knew about it and he would keep it like that. No one could know. But now his limbs were frozen and he was terrified. He finally looked up and Yuta was talking to him. He could not hear him but forced himself to walk up to him and leave that house.

" _I told you I did not have to beg_." That familiar voice whispered in his ear.


	10. X

_Tic_

_Tac_

_Tic_

_Tac_

The ticking of the clock was the only noise in the room. Jaehyun had lost track of time so he did not know how long he had been sitting on the ground facing that mirror. He did not dare to move. He needed to know for himself. That bizarre reflection of his would have to show up at some point and he would know for sure. Be sure that he was involved in that case. He knew that it would not show its face now. Not when he needed it to appear, but he did not give up even for a second. He continued to stare at his unchanging reflection. 

_Tic_

_Tac_

_Tic_

_Tac_

Time continued to go by. The reflection was still unchanging. The faint conversations in the hallway would grab his attention from time to time, but his eyes never left the mirror. Jaehyun did not know how many minutes or hours had passed. He was sure he was guilty. He somehow had been involved with everything that had happened. There was no illusion this time. Nothing. It was him, wasn't it? He blinked for the first time in a while. Why of all words did he have to use that one? Why did he say it so often? His chest tightened at the mere recollection. 

There was a sudden knock on the door, but Jaehyun chose to ignore it. There were two more knocks. He sighed and continued to stare at the mirror. Focusing on every single detail of his reflection, waiting for the smallest change to tell him that it was there. 

"How long have you been staring at that mirror?" Doyoung's voice made him freeze. 

Jaehyun said nothing. 

"Jaehyun." Taeyong's voice made a chill run down his spine. 

He still did not move nor answer. He could talk to them later. 

"Yuta told me something happened," Taeyong spoke again. 

"It's nothing." Jaehyun did not bother to turn. "Nothing happened." 

"Why don't I believe it?" Doyoung's tone was cold

"Why are you here?" Jaehyun was trying to maintain a certain calmness in his tone. 

"We were worried about you." Taeyong sighed. 

"We?" Doyoung was annoyed.

"I've already told you," Jaehyun forced out a fake smile. "Nothing happened."

Both men stared at him. He could see it in the mirror. 

"I'm fine." He finally turned around to face them.

_Hurt them._

"Well, I don't believe you." Doyoung scoffed. 

_You know you want to._

"There is nothing I can do about that." Jaehyun hid his anger with a smile as he turned to face the mirror once again. "I can't control how you feel or think."

_Kill them._

He was being disrespectful and he knew it, but angering Doyoung would make him leave faster and that was what he wanted. He did not have the head to deal with either of those men at that time. It was hard to ignore the ringing in his head and the voice that kept saying those things in the back of his mind. The dark part that was inside of him. Jaehyun tried to calm himself. 

_Just touch him._

"Jaehyun," Taeyong warned. 

_Just one touch is enough._

"No, don't." Doyoung laughed. "He wants to keep this a secret until it blows up in all of our faces. Until we can't do anything about it." 

_Make them kneel in front of us._

There was silence because they all knew he was right. 

"I'm just going to warn you here and now." His tone grew dark. "I will kill you before I let you ruin it all." 

_Kill him._

"Doyoung is right, Jaehyun." Taeyong lowered his gaze. "If something is indeed wrong, you should tell us." 

_Kill them._

"I could force it out of you, you know?" Doyoung's tone was high. "But I'm trying to be respectful." 

_Silence them._

Jaehyun had been watching the whole scene through the mirror. He could see how angry and disappointed Doyoung was. It hurt more than he ever thought it would. He could see the trust those men had deposited in him, fading. They were right to think something was wrong and to protect their own. Jaehyun was a stranger. The ringing in his ear came back and Jaehyun could feel something around him. The thickness in the air. The room changed and he knew why. The voice no longer said anything. It did not have to. It was there and it could finish the job on its own. 

He sighed. 

The numbness had already settled in his stomach. It would eventually spread to all the other parts of his body and make him feel nothing other than his heart beating and veins pulsating. The numbness was slowly spreading, but he could already hear the faint buzzing inside his head. The unopened door that was now ajar. Jaehyun closed his eyes and waited as it washed over him. As it made every single feeling disappear. 

The door was opened and Jaehyun was confused. Hyung-sik's mother had asked him to close the store for her since she was going to deliver some groceries to a house on the outskirts of their little town. She trusted him enough for that and he had already done it a couple of times. It was not hard and he liked to help her. He had just taken out a few boxes and set them beside the back door like he always did. But when he got back, the front door was ajar. He clearly remembered closing it. It was the first thing he had done, yet it was open and the wind was blowing through the opening. 

It was like a whistle. Low and constant. The atmosphere was incredibly eerie and Jaehyun felt a cold gust of wind hit him in the face. He took a few steps back, shocked by how strong it had been. Jaehyun was slightly scared, but he knew that he had probably not closed it correctly. Logical explanations were always there. 

"Are you still open?" A raspy voice said. 

Jaehyun looked around but couldn't see anyone. 

"Who's there?" His voice was a bit high pitched. 

"I've asked if you were open."

"I was just closing." He took a step back. 

"That's just too bad." A dark clothed figure made its way inside. "I needed to buy some things." 

Jaehyun swallowed down the fear. 

"I-I can help you." He forced a smile. 

The cloaked figure made its way closer to him, taking its time. Jaehyun had forgotten how to breathe and was now standing completely frozen in place. When the small figure got close enough, it took down its veil, revealing an old woman underneath it. She had white hair and was hunched down. She walked with a certain difficulty, dragging her shoes against the rubbery floor. Jaehyun could see the faint smile on her lips, looking as if she was pleased. 

"Here's the list of what I need." She slowly handed him a piece of paper that seemed old. It was yellow and stained. 

Jaehyun took a look at the small list and turned around to grab one of the baskets.

"You can sit here while I grab the items." He smiled as he pulled the bench and set it in front of the counter. 

"What a thoughtful young man." Her voice was very strange. 

Jaehyun bowed and began to walk around the store, making sure he got everything that had been written on the small piece of paper. 

"Are you here all by yourself?" The old lady asked. 

"Y-yes." He choked slightly. "The owner had to deliver some groceries." 

"That does not sound very safe." She laughed and then coughed lightly. "For you."

Jaehyun stilled. He almost dropped the can that he held in his hand, but was able to stop it from hitting the ground. The old lady coughed again. He set the can inside the basket and walked back to the counter, checking if he had gotten every single item from the list. Jaehyun avoided her eyes, focusing solely on the groceries. He checked it once and then twice. It was complete. He forced his lips into a smile and finally gazed up at the woman. 

"Everything is here." 

She hummed and smiled back at him. Her lips curled back and her deep yellow teeth were showing. 

"Why does a handsome young man like yourself look so lonely?" She searched inside her bag. 

Jaehyun could see she had something in her hands, but could not determine what it was. It was rather small. He chose not to answer, but the woman did not look satisfied with his silence. 

"Such a sad child." She clicked her tongue while giving Jaehyun a bag to put the groceries inside. 

Jaehyun said nothing. This woman looked strange, felt strange. If he did not answer, their conversation would soon be replaced by silence. Or so he thought. As soon as he handed her the groceries, the woman opened a creepy smile as he stared at him. 

"There aren't many choices in your path, child." She stood up from the bench with difficulty. "Don't fool yourself." 

She laughed and then coughed hard. As she headed for the door, Jaehyun continued frozen in place. Ignoring good manners and not opening the door for an older woman. He just stared at that dark figure as she left the store. He swallowed when the woman stopped. She slowly turned around and Jaehyun could see a yellow glow in her eyes. Something rather absurd, but it was there. 

"You should already know by now," She smiled darkly. "Darkness will only attract darkness." 

"I don't understand what you are saying." Jaehyun took a step back unconsciously. 

"The odds will never be in your favor, child. The gods said so." The old woman stood up. "You were born to walk alone and that is what you will always be." 

"I-I..." He stuttered. 

"Those who choose to walk by your side will only know sadness and misfortune." She began walking towards the door. "And if they insist, Death will make sure they meet." 

She laughed and then exited the store. 

Jaehyun stood there for a long time before he was able to move again. That sentence was stuck in his head. He was just a child and yet this woman claimed he would not know what happiness was. It felt painful. 

He locked the door and walked home calmly. For some reason, his steps were extremely slow and it took him twice as long to get home. By the time he arrived, everyone was already asleep. But he just lied on his mat, staring at the ceiling and hearing the wind blow outside. He was happy. He had always been. Wasn't he? The question was stuck in his head for the whole night. He did not sleep. He did not move. He just repeated that sentence over and over until it was time to get up. 

He never forgot that woman's voice or face. He never forgot those words. 

Taeyong and Doyoung were staring at Jaehyun when he opened his eyes. They had complicated expressions and Jaehyun could tell why. He felt slightly numb. Not entirely, but he could hear the low pleading in the back of his mind. The switch had been turned on once more and he was back to his dark side. It was not bad, since this was a part of him that had always been there. But it was complicated. The pleading began to die down and Jaehyun could tell that made him happy. His other side was too soft to deal with any of this, so might as well take care of things. The "normal" and boring Jaehyun would come back eventually, but for now, this part of himself would enjoy things. Do what he wanted to do. 

"That face." Jaehyun grinned. 

Both men looked confused.

"The one people make when they see what we are." 

"And what exactly are you?" Doyoung frowned. 

"Don't bother." Jaehyun shrugged. "Your little thing is not going to work." 

The man looked annoyed as he pulled out his necklace and began to rub it. Jaehyun had felt the influx of energy and he knew Doyoung was doing his little trick with him. In vain. He knew exactly how to block it. This side of him knew much more than the pathetic nice part that was now silenced deep within him. Thankfully. 

"He is still the same." Taeyong sighed. "This is just another side of him." 

"Taeyong knows it well." Jaehyun's sarcastic smile was intense and Doyoung could not hide his annoyance. " _Very_ well."

"Should I be concerned?" Doyoung arched his brow and tilted his head. 

"Jaehyun." Taeyong intervened. "There is a cost to everything we do." 

"For me or you?" Jaehyun laughed.

"For all of us." Doyoung was the one to speak. "And as I said before, I will not let you ruin things." 

"Ruin things?" Jaehyun sighed. "I just don't want any of you in my way." 

"Or?" Doyoung took a step closer. 

"Don't threaten me." Jaehyun scoffed. "It's pathetic coming from you." 

"You don't even know how to control yourself." Doyoung grinned. 

Jaehyun arched his eyebrow. 

Doyoung lost his grin and lowered his gaze. His body contorted for a few seconds and then he bowed. Straightening himself up as soon as he was free. Jaehyun grinned at the sight. He could do what Doyoung loved to do. Control people. He did not even have to say the command, just think of what he wanted and it would happen. Jaehyun knew exactly what he was doing and he loved it. Putting Doyoung in that position made him happy. That man could say whatever, he was still weaker than him. The other side of him was still silent, making him grin. He knew why. Jealous little Jaehyun was happy to see Doyoung in that position. Jaehyun liked the power he had in his hands. 

Taeyong sighed. 

"Are you sure?" Jaehyun massaged his shoulders. "I can make you do it again." 

"Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you can control it." Taeyong had a soft tone. 

"That is true." Jaehyun smiled as he got up. "But I have to start somewhere." 

He walked up to both men and smiled while tilting his head. It was somewhat adorable, seeing the hate and disgust in their faces. Seeing how pathetic they looked when they judged him. Both men had dark looks on their faces. Jaehyun was having fun and he would not stop there. They would have to endure it a bit more. Accept they had lost this battle. 

"Consider this the beginning." Jaehyun leaned forward and smiled at Taeyong, stopping inches from his face. 

He backed away suddenly and then laughed, making sure he looked Doyoung deep in the eye. He then exited the room with the biggest grin on his lips. He knew he had won, but the aftermath would certainly be bloody. He could feel just how much intensity that room had. How the lights flickered for a second. If the smallest spark went off, it would bring down the entire building. Those two were not easy, but they weren't hard either. Jaehyun liked power and he liked the power those two had. It would be just a matter of time before those two came to his side. He knew that. They would come, willingly or not and there was nothing anyone could do about it. 

Jaehyun walked up to the elevator and stopped. He wasn't quite sure where he would go. He didn't even press the button, but the door opened anyway. Jungwoo and Yuta were inside. Both men looked at him with a confused look on their faces, but Yuta quickly grinned at him. 

"You look like you've done a bad thing." Yuta's tone was extremely sarcastic. 

"What?" Jungwoo looked at him confused. 

"Can I ask you for a favor?" Jaehyun tried to sound desperate. 

"Something wrong?" Jungwoo sounded concerned as he stepped closer. 

"I need to get out of the house." Jaehyun put on puppy eyes. "Just for tonight." 

"Out?" Jungwoo tilted his head. 

"I just need to be somewhere other than here." His voice was small. Anything to make them believe. 

The two men looked at each other and then nodded. 

"Come," Yuta said in a dark tone. 

It did not take long for them to arrive at their destination. Yuta and Jungwoo said nothing for the duration of the ride. Their silence was a bit comforting since Jaehyun was not in the mood to explain himself. Even if he did, those two would just become a nuisance that he would have to deal with and at that moment, he just wanted to be. The cute Jaehyun act would have to continue for a while longer. Yuta turned the car left and they entered a busy street. He then turned right into a smaller street. One with neon signs everywhere. It was a small street, but it was bustling with life as people walked around laughing. Jaehyun had lost track of time, but it looked like it was the weekend. He stared out the window and looked at the façades of the buildings on the street. 

The car stopped and Yuta turned around as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He stared at Jaehyun for a few seconds and then grinned. He was having fun and Jaehyun was not amused by the slightest, yet he acted as if he was scared. He wasn't. 

"This is the place." The man said at last with a smile on his lips. "Don't be scared." 

Jungwoo sighed. 

"It's just a club, Yuta." Jungwoo seemed annoyed. 

"I didn't say anything." Yuta laughed. 

"Yuta likes to come here and drags me with him." Jungwoo smiled. "It's a fifty." 

"Fifty?" Jaehyun was curious. 

"50/50," Yuta answered. "Half and half." 

Jaehyun tilted his head. 

"You'll understand when we get in." Jungwoo sighed once more.

Jaehyun hummed. 

The three men exited the car and headed for the deep purple door on the other side of the street. Jaehyun did not pay attention to the entrance, but it looked rather fancy. It was interesting. Jungwoo walked in front of him as Yuta slowed his pace. Jaehyun felt the hand on his arm and then turned to look at the other man. 

"Blue eyes or not," Yuta grinned as he whispered. "I can still see right through you." 

Yuta let go of his arm and caught up with Jungwoo, patting the other man on the shoulder. They entered the club and headed upstairs, arriving at a very big room with loud music playing. Jaehyun had never been into a club, but this was not an issue at this moment. His current self was far more interested in staying away from Doyoung and Taeyong than anything else. He then stopped. In the middle of the stairs, his body shivered. This was not something he expected. He looked around and then felt the slight warm breath against his cheek. He shook off the feeling and caught up before the two men in front of him realized he had stopped. 

As they reached the top of the stairs, a short man greeted them. He bowed and the three men bowed back. Jaehyun did not pay attention to what he said as he looked around intrigued by the place. There was loud music playing and people dancing around with smiles on their faces. The air was thick and intense. Jaehyun liked it. As they walked, people would stop dancing and doing whatever it was they were originally doing, to stare. Most of them only spared the two men in front of him a glance, but their gaze would focus on Jaehyun. He grinned. People would immediately go silent and stare at him. A few even daringly took a step forward. Jaehyun did not bother to look back at any of those people, but he let them have their taste. He slowed his pace. 

When he finally arrived at the booth, he could see most people had stepped out of the daze they had been in due to him. Yuta and Jungwoo were waiting for him to take their seats. It looked like a safety precaution. Jaehyun smiled then took his seat inside the booth. Jungwoo and Yuta sat beside him. 

"Have you ever been to a place like this?" Jungwoo was excited. 

"No." Jaehyun laughed. "Never." 

"Such a child." Yuta scoffed. 

"He _is_ a kid, Yuta." Jungwoo rolled his eyes. "Let him enjoy the night." 

"Humans." Jaehyun sniffed around. 

"There are those who come here for a reason and there are some who just ended up here and don't know what the night has saved for them." Yuta laughed. 

"What do you mean?" 

"The owners." Jungwoo pointed at the second floor. 

Jaehyun stared at the men sitting on the second floor of the club. They were all incredibly handsome and well dressed, but he could feel the dark aura around them. They all had a bored expression on their faces as they looked down on the chaos happening downstairs. One of the men, a blonde one, stared back at Jaehyun. He suddenly looked amused. The man turned and spoke to the blue-haired man beside him. The two of them looked back at Jaehyun and their smile grew wider. Jaehyun grinned at the sight. 

"You got their attention." Jungwoo sighed. 

"Who are they?" Jaehyun could not take his eyes off them. 

"You might like them." Yuta laughed. "Unlike Jungwoo." 

"Why?" 

"Because they are pretentious fucks that do annoying things." Jungwoo rolled his eyes. 

"They look okay." Jaehyun smiled. 

"Don't hold onto grudges, Woo." Yuta smiled darkly. 

"I will haunt you for a whole week if you keep this up." Jungwoo stood up and headed for the bar with long and determined strides. 

Jaehyun took his eyes off the men on the second floor and stared at the dancefloor. Men and women did not hide their interest, making him amused. This was somewhere he did not have to hide, especially not at a moment like this. His mind was silent and his body tingled with excitement. He could let go and have fun for the night. Yuta would certainly not oppose. He continued to stare. Almost like he was hunting for his prey. Making eye contact with those he found interesting. But in the end, they all looked rather boring. Jaehyun sighed. 

"Hi." A female voice grabbed his attention. 

Jaehyun tilted his head at the young woman that was leaning against their table. 

"I think we've met before." She smiled. 

Yuta was holding his laughter. 

"I don't think so." Jaehyun smiled. "I've never been here."

"Oh." The woman tilted her head. "You look a lot like someone I've seen before." 

"I think you just got confused." Jaehyun looked at Yuta and then back at the woman. 

"Are you sure?" She arched her brow.

"Yes." Jaehyun was annoyed. 

"I'm good with faces." She smiled. "And yours is one I wouldn't forget that easily." 

"Really?" Jaehyun was now interested. 

"Your face." She waved around, clearly drunk. "It's very..." 

"Very?" Jaehyun stared at her with a smile on his lips. 

The young woman grew silent as she stared at him. Jaehyun could certainly feel her intentions and they were loud and clear, but he was not interested in that nor her. She was an ordinary beauty with nothing special to her. Her drunk state was slightly amusing, but it did not make Jaehyun interested. Unfortunately, Yuta was there, so he couldn't do anything to her. He could still have a bit of fun. 

"What do you want?" Jaehyun said with a smile on his lips. 

"You look pretty." The woman answered in a robotic tone. " _Very_ pretty." 

"Thank you for the compliment." Jaehyun leaned closer. "But you seem like you want something else." 

"I..." 

"Who's she?" Jungwoo interrupted the woman. 

Jaehyun leaned back and shrugged. 

"She was leaving." He said at last. 

Jungwoo sat back down beside Jaehyun and put his glass on the table in front of them. The woman complied with her order and left abruptly. Jaehyun was annoyed. He wanted to have fun, but Jungwoo would certainly oppose it if he did something to that girl. The three men then sat in silence as they observed the people in the club. Jaehyun could see humans being completely unaware of their surroundings. They just danced and laughed like it was nothing, while a lot more happened. Things they couldn't even fathom. It was an interesting sight. 

The young woman had disappeared into the dance floor and Jaehyun was now only staring into the small cluttered chaos happening in front of him. Unamused by it. Yuta seemed to be enjoying himself, while Jungwoo sipped on his drink equally unamused. In the end, Yuta seemed like the only person who was having fun. 

"It's been a while, Jungwoo." The blonde man from before suddenly stood in front of them. 

Jungwoo inhaled sharply. 

"Jimin-ssi." Yuta bowed slightly. 

"New pet?" Jimin grinned. 

"Taeyong's doing." Yuta smiled as he leaned forward. "You know how he has a soft side for the fucked up ones." 

"Join us upstairs." Jimin smiled. 

"We are fine here." Jungwoo hissed. 

"I wasn't asking." 

Yuta was the first one to move out of the booth and Jaehyun followed suit. Jungwoo inhaled sharply and then joined the other men. They walked past the crowded dance floor and to the side of the club. The two security guards moved aside and the four men went up the stairs to the second floor. Jaehyun did not realize but there were other people there. Smaller tables with different kinds of people. They walked past all of those and down to the table where the other six men were sitting. Jaehyun bowed as soon as they reached the table. Yuta and Jungwoo did the same. The men did not seem too interested but murmured something back. Jaehyun was taking his seat when a hand-pulled him up. 

"Join me," Jimin said with a smile. 

Jaehyun nodded. 

The blonde man walked up to the railing and stared downstairs, Jaehyun joined him.

"First time?" 

Jaehyun nodded again.

"Do you like it?" Jimin arched his eyebrow. 

"Yes." Jaehyun did not look at the other man, as he focused on the chaos downstairs. 

"That was not what I meant." Jimin's tone grew dark. 

Jaehyun turned to face him. That man was strong and he could feel it. He could feel a lot of things about him, like the dark aura around him. It was very enticing and he certainly used it in his favor, like he was doing at that moment. It was interesting, but Jaehyun was not in the mood to let other people use him. He blocked whatever the other man was trying to do and turned back to face the dancefloor. A little giggle told him that Jimin was amused. 

"And what do you mean?" Jaehyun grabbed the railing and leaned forward. 

Jimin laughed. 

"You want to know if I like to watch?" 

"Watch?" Jimin tapped his fingers on the railing.

Jaehyun pointed at the soft pinkish fog in the air. He had noticed it the moment he stepped in that club and he was only able to make sense of it the moment he looked down. They were all feeding on those humans. The pink fog was the result of the feeding process. As the night progressed, the hues of pink had gotten far more intense. As the humans got drunker, the more they fed on their life force. And those stupid beings didn't even know what was happening to them. The alcohol and the whole atmosphere of the place numbed them, so it made it easier for them to be fed on. No wonder Yuta liked that place. Jaehyun grinned. 

"Naughty little creature." He stepped closer. 

"Have I done something?" 

"I have a feeling about you." Jimin touched Jaehyun's cheek. "And I am never wrong." 

"You might be this time." Jaehyun grinned. 

"Trust me." He turned away and then leaned slightly closer. "Evil like this is hard to find." 

Jimin poked Jaehyun's chest then walked away licking his lips.


	11. XI

Jaehyun let a smile dominate his lips. That was an interesting place and those were interesting men. They ran a buffet and the main dish was the drunk and drugged human beings downstairs. Some were even lucky to make their way to the second floor and be completely disgraced by the creatures there. There were far more interesting creatures than the owners. One of the tables had a group of four very well dressed men. Tall and handsome. Anyone would say they were rich businessmen, but if one were to look closely, they would see the faint glint of their golden scales on their necks. 

Another table was occupied by a group of fanged women who were feeding on a couple. Jaehyun could not tell if they were enjoying what was happening to them or if they were too immersed to even acknowledge what was going on. The women would clean their lips from time to time and he could see the blood being wiped clean. Jaehyun was amused. 

He turned his gaze back to the table behind him and Yuta seemed to be immersed in the conversation. Jungwoo, on the other hand, looked miserable as he gulped the contents of his glass. Judging by the number of empty glasses in front of him, Jaehyun and Yuta would have to carry him home. Jaehyun laughed. It was the first time he felt free in his entire life. Before they went to that city, this part of himself was always lying deep inside himself. Playing small tricks on the other part of himself. Bad dreams and stupid little things he could control. Now he was in charge. He was the one doing what he wanted to do. It was freedom, at last. 

He would not hide any longer. This time, he had decided to stay, even though he knew that if he closed his eyes, the other side would kick him out. Or would it? Even though he had been shifting back and forth between his personalities, he still felt as if he could stay longer. Ignore the screams from his other-self. There was silence inside of him. He knew the other Jaehyun was fearful of him and he should. He held the power in his hand and there was nothing his other self could do. 

His daze ended with someone spilling a drink on him. A girl. Jaehyun was slightly taken aback, but the drunk girl seemed to be completely out of it. Her eyes were hollow. He looked down at the girl who was a lot shorter than him, even though she had heels on. She would look pretty if it weren't for her current state. Her skin was a bit too pale and her lipstick was smudged on the sides. Jaehyun arched an eyebrow as he looked at her features. She did not dare to look up at him, either because she was ashamed or because she couldn't raise her head. It was pitiful. 

"I-I'm so-sorry." She mumbled as she shook her head. 

Jaehyun stared at the girl for a second and then put his finger on her chin. He tilted her head up to look into her eyes. She groaned but did not step away. Jaehyun looked at her for another second before he determined she was indeed worthy of his pity. Not because of what she had done, but because she looked pathetic. Weak. Hollow eyes and pale face. She had been fed on. Maybe more than she could handle. If someone was careless, she would certainly go into some sort of coma or even die. He did not care about that. People were free to do what they wanted, even at the cost of a pathetic life. He smiled. The girl looked at him with empty eyes, confused. 

"It's okay." He said with a soft voice. 

His fingers traveled up to her forehead. Jaehyun pressed his index against her skin. The girl mumbled something inaudible but stood still. This part of himself was quite sure of what he could do. The girl's eyes widened as he touched her. She looked shocked at the sight of the faint glow his index was emitting. The glow suddenly faded and the tip of his finger became black. The black color was then transferred to the girl's forehead. Her skin was extremely pale, so it made it easy to see the black dot that set on her skin. The dot became a line and it went down her forehead, to the side of her face and down her neck, where it disappeared inside her blouse. She gasped for a second and then pulled back. Her eyes were not hollow anymore, but they were completely black now. 

"W-what..." She didn't finish her sentence. 

The girl collapsed on the floor, eyes closed. There were a few bystanders around and they were quick to shift their gazes to the collapsed girl. There was nothing unusual about a girl collapsing in a club. They all seemed rather unamused by it. Jaehyun just stared at the unconscious girl at his feet. It took a couple of seconds for the security to show up and drag her away. Jaehyun was not interested in where she would end up. His job was done. He sighed and walked back to the table where Yuta and Jungwoo had been sitting the entire time. 

"What happened?" Jungwoo sounded worried. 

"No idea." Jaehyun shrugged. "She just collapsed." 

" _Just_ collapsed?" Yuta tilted his head as he repeated the words. 

Jaehyun ignored the man and leaned forward to pick up some napkins. He pressed the paper against his shirt and tried to get it to dry as he ignored the looks Jungwoo and Yuta were giving him.

"Do you need help?" Jungwoo extended a handful of napkins. 

Jaehyun smiled as he picked up the papers. 

"Her glass was full." He laughed. 

"She was probably drunk." Yuta shrugged. 

"It's okay." Jaehyun put the wet papers on the table. "I'm fine." 

All the hairs on his body suddenly stood up. The air in the room became extremely thick. The kind of thickness that he had only felt around Taeyong. The music had stopped and there was no more conversation. The room had become silent and when Jaehyun looked around, he was alone. At least he thought so. A man was sitting opposite him and he looked exactly like Jaehyun. It was like staring at a mirror. Jaehyun raised his brow. 

"Surprised?" The man asked. 

"Not really."

"Don't act so seriously." The man laughed. "We are here to have fun."

"And who might you be?" 

"Isn't it obvious?" The man pouted, almost offended. 

"Your little trick might work on others." Jaehyun crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'm not one of those people." 

The man laughed as he pulled his face like a mask and Jaehyun's face disappeared. He had never seen that man before, but he was sure this was not his real face either. This encounter was far from ordinary. This man wanted something and he would have to listen. The second mask was now facing him with a grin. It felt rather annoying, but Jaehyun was also curious. This man was strong enough to pull a stunt like this in that place. Or maybe he was just insane and not afraid of the consequences. Jaehyun liked that. He decided to listen to him. 

"I have been watching you for a long time." 

Jaehyun licked his lips. 

"You are learning quickly." The man smiled. 

"I'm not interested in your appraisal." Jaehyun stared at his fingers. "Just say what you came here to say." 

"I don't want anything." The man shook his head. 

"Then you are just bothersome." Jaehyun inhaled.

"You misunderstood me when I said you were supposed to come home." 

"You expect me to side with you?" Jaehyun raised his brow. "Why would I even consider you an option?" 

"I don't think your parents would have wanted you to speak to me in this manner." The man laughed. 

"What exactly do you think will happen if you mention my parents?" Jaehyun smiled. "That I will choose you out of curiosity?" 

"You can make your own decisions." The man stood up and straightened his suit. "But don't forget that, compared to me, you're just a kid." 

"Sometimes grown-ups make very poor decisions." Jaehyun pinched his nose bridge. "Keep that in mind." 

"Smart child." The man laughed. "I will come again." 

"If you don't have anything useful to tell me, don't even bother." Jaehyun hid his annoyance. 

"You and I have a lot to talk about." 

"Send an invitation." Jaehyun licked his lips. "I'm not a fan of unannounced appearances."

The scene dissolved, just like it had happened in Taeyong's office. This was the work of the same person. Someone who had a bigger plan and it somehow involved Jaehyun. He knew himself, but he had to start figuring out what exactly did those people want from him. That man was certainly not acting alone, he would be a fool if he was. Especially in a world where you cannot hide anything, in a world where there were people like Taeyong or like him. 

"What did you say?" Jungwoo pulled him back to reality. 

Jaehyun shook his head and realized he was back. 

"Nothing." Jaehyun smiled. "I'm just thirsty." 

Jungwoo pushed his glass towards Jaehyun and gestured for him to drink. The alcohol went down and unlike Doyoung's red liquor, it did not burn or tingle. It was just like it had always been. Jaehyun gulped down its entire content and calmly set the glass back down. Jungwoo arched a brow.

"Are you immune to alcohol?" Jungwoo sounded annoyed. 

Jaehyun nodded. 

The night went on without any more events. The three men continued to talk about various subjects. Jaehyun would join them from time to time, but he kept silent for most of it. The other men at his table joined their conversation a few times as well. He found out those men were some sort of psychic vampires or demons that fed on the humans in their club. He was not sure. They did not look bad, but their essence was excitingly dark. It did not bother Jaehyun in the slightest. They had even fed in front of him a couple of times and he was amused by it. Jungwoo was the only one who seemed to want to leave as soon as possible. 

Jaehyun's head had been working a lot since the little encounter he had earlier, so he did not focus on much. Yuta was already annoyed by Jungwoo's drunkenness, using it as an excuse to leave. The men acknowledged them and bowed slightly. Jimin had a sly smile on his lips as he waved goodbye. Jaehyun helped Yuta carry Jungwoo back to their car. The two men pushed him onto the backseat and then closed the door. The man groaned and mumbled incoherent words, but neither of them paid attention. Jaehyun turned to face the club and its purple door. 

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Yuta asked. 

Jaehyun nodded, but still had his back to the other man. 

"That girl." 

"What about her?" Jaehyun turned his head slightly, barely seeing the man behind him.

"Was it fun?" Jaehyun was sure Yuta was grinning. 

"Yes." He finally turned and smiled at Yuta. 

"I like this side of you." Yuta opened the car door. "It doesn't lie to save its own ass." 

"Even if I lied," Jaehyun opened the car door. "You would still believe me." 

Their silent drive was disturbed from time to time by Jungwoo's nonsensical conversation and complaints. How he hated that place and those men, how he wanted to go to the other place, and how he was mad at Yuta. It was rather funny. Jungwoo seemed to be that carefree person that everyone liked. Jaehyun liked him as well, but he did not trust Jungwoo. His other side blindly trusted anyone who showed him a little bit of politeness, but this side was not like that. Jungwoo was too much of everything, so it was rather easy for him to be a bad person as well. Still, Jaehyun said nothing as he laughed at the blabbing of the other man. 

They arrived back at the house and helped Jungwoo into the elevator. Jaehyun was quickly dismissed as Yuta said he would take the other man to his room. He bowed and headed back to his room, sensing the trouble from afar. He could not pinpoint what it was, but there was something off in that place and it seemed to be stronger in his bedroom. The door squeaked as he opened it, but when he turned on the lights it was empty. Even the mirror did not have a reflection in it. Jaehyun was confused as to why his room felt so odd. 

"Show yourself." He said with annoyance.

He stopped in front of the mirror and grinned. It was odd to see himself like that, especially when he believed there were only two sides of him. The reflection with blue eyes was proving him wrong. The darker side was still trapped inside and it had not come out that day. Jaehyun tilted his head and then smiled. 

"There you are." He laughed. 

The reflection touched the mirror from inside, scratching its long nails against the glass. 

"So that's where you're trapped." He touched the mirror. 

The reflection smiled, showing it's pointed teeth. Jaehyun finally understood the logic behind it all. His body was divided into two. The one that was currently in charge and the annoying "normal" side that had been in charge for most of their lives. The two sides were vessels for the dark entity inside the mirror. It was not a side of Jaehyun, but the darkness that both sides carried. The raw darkness that made people wary of him. The blue eyes that Yuta had seen. It was this thing. Almost like a pet. And it needed help to be free. 

He was slightly confused since the blue eyes had already made their appearance before. But somehow this thing was now trapped. The one in the mirror was that thing, not him. Yet it had been freed once. Why was it so anxious to get out? If it had already done it once, it could do it again. But it was telling him otherwise. It was trapped. He stared at its blue eyes and tilted his head. 

"And how do I free you?" Jaehyun smiled as he ignored the screams inside his head. 

The reflection grinned and then closed its right hand into a fist. Jaehyun laughed as he turned his back to the mirror. 

"You know," Jaehyun sat on his bed and stared at the mirror. "I'm already free." 

The reflection was still there staring at him, but its fist was now opened and it had a key in it. A silver key with something engraved on it. 

"A key." Jaehyun nodded. "And I have to find it?" 

The reflection smiled. 

"The other one will not look for it." He grinned. "Neither will I."

A manic laugh could be heard from afar. For some reason, the reflection did not speak. But whenever his other side spoke with it, it would answer. It would tell him things, scare him. This was something he could not fully grasp yet, so he decided to ignore it for the time being. Focusing on the key in the reflections hand. The blue eyes had become even more intense. 

"I'm not really in the mood to play hide and seek." He licked his lips. 

The ticking of the clock became louder and the light dimmed to a point where the room was almost completely dark. Jaehyun knew this was that thing's doing and he knew it was powerful. That little demonstration made things even more interesting. The blue glint was as intense as it had ever been and he knew why. It wanted out. It was strong, but it was also a bit uncontrollable. He stared at it and grinned once more. It was strong and it was reckless. Without him or his other side, this thing was nothing. So it was worthless without its vessel. Jaehyun would have to teach it to behave. He wanted to yield such power, that was obvious. But he did not want to deal with a mercurial entity. It would either behave or it would remain locked up inside that mirror.

"Cute." He clicked his tongue. 

The reflection tilted its head.

The lights slowly went back to normal and the clock was back to its low ticking. Jaehyun knew full well that things could not exist alone. But it did not want to be controlled either. There would have to be a middle ground. One in which he could benefit from the power without losing control over the body. He knew there was someone who could help him with that, but he would certainly have to explain more than what he was willing to. Still, he would have to ask at some point. Jaehyun groaned. 

"We are done for now." He lied in his bed. 

This Jaehyun couldn't dream. He knew that. The memories belonged to his other side and his head was too empty to imagine anything. He didn't dream for the whole night. A bizarre feeling hit him when he woke up and realized the night had been nothing more than a blank. Nothing to remember. He sat up and looked around the room. The clock ticked and the mirror had nothing in it. His body ached and his neck felt stiff. Jaehyun looked around once more, unexpectedly being hit by a wave of annoyance. He expected to find someone in his room. It had become a routine, so when he realized the room was empty, he felt annoyed. 

He looked at the clock again and he could see it was just after 3 pm. He had slept for most of the day and for some reason that added to his annoyance. The absence of windows was troublesome. He never knew when it was day or night and that affected his sleeping schedule. Jaehyun did not have anything to do, but it still felt bad waking up at such a late hour. He pushed the covers aside and wobbled out of bed. His head hurt and he could hear a faint screaming in the back of his mind. 

"Would you mind?" He pleaded as he pinched the bridge of his nose. 

The other side was acting up and he knew why. It was not entirely wrong, but that was not the time for it. There were a few more muffled words before silence came back. He knew he would have to deal with that later, but he was still trying to deal with waking up in that body. His side would always disappear when they went to bed. For the first time, he had woken up. It had never happened before. He did not know what it felt like to wake up in this world. He just felt whatever the other side felt. But this time it was different. It was empty. He knew why, but he decided to ignore it. 

After changing his clothes, Jaehyun walked out of his room and headed for the elevator. He stopped before he could press the button and just stared at the metal doors in front of him. Jaehyun had no idea where he would go, but the rumble in his stomach indicated that he should probably get food. He finally pressed the button and waited for the elevator doors to open. He pressed the button for the living room and waited. The door closed and after a few seconds, opened again. The room was not full, but it wasn't empty either. A few familiar faces were sitting around and there were even a few people eating at the main table at the center of the room. 

He walked out of the elevator and headed for the table. People still stared at him when he entered a room, but he chose to ignore it. Kun was sitting at the table. He took his eyes off his food and looked up at Jaehyun. He had a soft inviting smile on his lips and Jaehyun smiled back as he made his way to the other man. 

"Do you want to join us?" Kun said in a soft tone as Jaehyun approached. 

"Sure." Jaehyun pulled out a chair for himself beside Sicheng. 

Kun gestured at the center of the table where there were various plates of food. He picked up a plate and gave it to Jaehyun. 

"Thank you." He bowed slightly.

Jaehyun put a few things on his plate and pulled the smaller plates with side dishes closer. Sicheng offered him a pair of chopsticks and he accepted it with a smile. 

"Yuta told me you did something at the SPA," Kun asked without sparing him a glance. 

"It was just a hunch." Jaehyun slowly chewed on his food. "Nothing more."

Kun hummed. 

"Did it help?" Jaehyun knew the answer, but he just wanted to make sure.

"You solved the problem." Kun nodded as he put more food in his mouth. "Thank you." 

Jaehyun smiled as he picked up another mouthful. 

"How did you do it?"

Jaehyun put the food in his mouth and chewed it slowly. He swallowed every inch of it and then cleaned his mouth. It was a bit theatrical, but it was amusing. He did not look at Kun during the whole process, making it even more dramatic. The men at the table all were waiting patiently and silently. When Jaehyun raised his head, he could see the annoyance on their faces, making him grin. 

"It was simple." He sipped on the glass of water Sicheng had poured for him earlier. "It was just a curse." 

"How?" YangYang had raised his brow. 

"Why are you all so curious?" Jaehyun leaned forward and propped his elbows on the table. 

"It's always good to learn new tricks." Kun Hang grinned. 

"Have you talked to Taeyong about it?" Kun ignored the other men. 

"He is aware." Jaehyun was annoyed. 

Kun did not respond to that, but his glance at the glass of water in front of him confirmed what Jaehyun had imagined. The man could not be tricked so easily. Jaehyun did not lie, Taeyong was certainly aware of what had happened. Yuta would not conceal that from him. But that was exactly it, Jaehyun had not talked to him. He did not wish to talk to him about that nor about anything else. He shook his head and ignored the thought in his mind. In the end, Kun bowed as he stood up and left the room. It was now much emptier than before, but before he could stand up and leave as well, someone put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Going somewhere?" Dong-hyuck let go and walked to sit opposite Jaehyun. 

"Not really." 

"Good." He grinned. "Now you can't say no to my invitation." 

Jaehyun had a confused look on his face. 

"You weren't my first choice." Dong-hyuck rolled his eyes. "Don't feel too happy about it." 

Jaehyun tilted his head. 

"There's an event I have to attend." He leaned closer. 

"And you're inviting me?" Jaehyun crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

"It's very exclusive." 

"So you're asking me to join you in a very exclusive event after we spoke to each other once?" 

"You seem like you know how to have fun." Dong-hyuck smiled. "And the more the merrier." 

"Fine." Jaehyun shrugged. "What time?" 

"Meet me here at 8 pm." Dong-hyuck stood up from his chair. "Put on some nice clothes." 

Jaehyun hummed as he sipped the water. 

Dong-hyuck left and Jaehyun continued sitting at the table for a while longer just relaxing for a bit. He then decided to head back to his room. Dressing nicely was not something he was used to, so he was a bit doubtful of what he should wear. He leaned against the cold metal wall of the elevator and wondered what exactly did he have in his closet that could pass as a nice outfit. He sighed. This part of himself was sure of many things, but there was still a lot he did not know. Things of the ordinary world. Things that he never thought that mattered. Now they did and he was lost. He groaned. 

The elevator door opened and to his surprise, Taeyong was standing in front of him. His calm smile was indeed pretty, but Jaehyun was still not in the mood for a conversation with him. He was not alone either. Jeno was standing beside him with a grimace that quickly disappeared.

"Jaehyun-ssi," Taeyong said softly. 

Jaehyun only nodded and then exited the elevator. 

"Jeno-ssi." Taeyong smiled. "You can go ahead." 

Jaehyun did not turn to see if Jeno had left or not, he only continued to walk back to his room. Ignoring Taeyong behind him. The sound of the closing doors let him know that Jeno had indeed left and there were only the two of them in the hallway. The silence was almost alarming, but he was not going to give in. He was annoyed, but he still walked as slowly as possible. Almost yearning for the other man to call him. At least a part of him wanted that and he knew exactly which. 

"We have a lot to talk about." Taeyong broke the silence. 

"We don't." Jaehyun did not bother to turn. 

"You should not act as if you were untouchable."

Jaehyun stopped and then turned to face the other man. He could let his anger show. He could say awful things. But those were pointless. Taeyong would only walk on those words and humiliate Jaehyun for saying such things. But some things were far more interesting to be said. Far worse even and Jaehyun was not in the mood to lose. 

"You can touch me if you want." 

Taeyong was silent and Jaehyun stepped closer. 

"You did have your hands all over me, didn't you?" Jaehyun laughed as he took a step closer. 

Taeyong grinned. 

"That's what I thought." Jaehyun licked his lips. "Too many words and no action." 

Jaehyun laughed. 

"It suits you." He backed away and turned to leave, while Taeyong stood still. 

Nothing else was said and the hallway was back at its original silence. Jaehyun had a smug smile on his face. Yes, this was not the nice side of Jaehyun and things would stay that way for a while. Saying those things was satisfying, even though there was a part of him that was annoyed. The other part. The one who would never talk to that man like that. But this part was not in charge anymore, at least not for the time being. Jaehyun walked away and back to his room with an unfading smile on his lips. Taeyong said nothing and did not stop him at any moment. Satisfaction had taken over him. 

Jaehyun stared at the mirror trying to see if his outfit looked good enough. He had no idea of what he should wear, but he remembered the dramas he had watched and people he had seen on social media. His outfit looked quite similar to those. The lack of color did not bother him and it probably made him look the part. A black shirt, black pants, and a black jacket. It looked rather fitting. He turned his head and looked at the clock. It was close to 8 pm. He straightened his clothes once more and then headed to the living room to meet with Dong-hyuck. 

Dong-hyuck was not alone. There was a blonde man beside him and Jaehyun remembered him from the dinner the other day. The two were talking and laughing about something, but they immediately stopped as soon as their gazes fell on Jaehyun. Both men turned to face him, making him suspicious. He walked calmly to the duo with a soft smile on his face. 

"You're here." Dong-hyuck seemed pleased. 

Jaehyun hummed. 

"He looks nice." The blonde man spoke with a deep voice. 

"This is Jaemin." Dong-hyuck gestured at the other man. "He is annoying and unpleasant to be around." 

"You talk as if people liked you." Jaemin grinned. 

Jaehyun bowed slightly. 

"Let's go." Dong-hyuck nodded as he spoke.

"Where exactly are we going?" Jaehyun was curious. 

"You'll see," Jaemin answered with a grin. 

Dong-hyuck had hired a driver to take them to the event. They had gone down to the garage and a car was waiting for them. Dong-hyuck was sitting on the passenger seat, while Jaemin and Jaehyun sat on the back. From the moment he had entered the car, the other man did not take his eyes from him. It was extremely annoying, seeing they had never even spoken to one another. Jaehyun said nothing as the other man continued to stare, but they eventually arrived at the place the event was being held. 

Jaemin and Dong-hyuck walked ahead of Jaehyun. He looked at the two men and arched a brow. Nothing was telling him that this could be bad, but nothing was saying otherwise. He had no idea where they were heading, but he was curious. A fancy event sounded like fun. He could certainly play around if there were humans there. He followed the two men inside the building and into the elevator. Dong-hyuck pressed the button for the penthouse and they inserted some sort of code into the keypad that was on top of the panel. 

The elevator quickly made its way up and in no time the doors were opening again. There was now a large room with many people inside. Jaehyun could smell the perfume in the air. There were a lot of humans in there, but he could feel other things as well. They were not the only ones that were not humans. Dong-hyuck inhaled and exited the elevator, followed by Jaemin and Jaehyun. The three of them walked calmly to the other side of the room. The eyes fell on them as soon as they entered the room. 

Jaehyun knew immediately who was not human. Those who took a second longer to turn their heads. He grinned as he analyzed the people in the room. Everyone was dressed in fancy clothes while they held champagne glasses in their hands. It looked exactly like he had seen on TV. And there were even the actors he had seen on those shows. The handsome men and beautiful women. It was quite interesting and Jaehyun began to like the idea of tagging along with Jaemin and Dong-hyuck. 

"Nana!" A delicate voice called. 

Jaehyun turned his head to look at the woman with a tight black dress who had called. Not human. 

" _Noona_!" Jaemin answered. 

"Don't call me that!" She exclaimed. "You'll make me look old."

"Aren't you?" Jaemin grinned. 

"Jaehyun, I presume." She turned to face him with a smile. 

He bowed. 

"Nothing escapes you, does it?" Dong-hyuck laughed.

"What's the fun in not knowing everything about everyone?" She laughed. 

"This is Bae Joohyun." Jaemin gestured at the woman. "The host." 

"Feel free to have fun." She began to walk away. "Just don't get anyone killed."

Jaehyun smiled at the remark. 

The room was bustling with life. Famous people all around. Jaehyun knew he could certainly have fun in a place like that. It was similar to the club in many ways, especially the people. They did not care about their surroundings, only focusing on what was in front of them. Ignoring the predators lurking around. Jaehyun turned around to look but his eyes focused on a person standing on the balcony. He could only see the back of that person's head, but he knew that silhouette better than anyone else. The long black hair, the slim body. Too familiar to be ignored, almost as if it was begging him to come closer. The pleading in his head began again. For the first time, he decided to listen to it. He excused himself and walked towards the balcony. 

"Ji-hye." He called as he closed the door behind him. 

She turned to face him, almost as if she was expecting him. 

"Jae Jae." She smiled. 

"It's been a long time." 

"Have you missed me?" She asked with dark eyes. 

There were things both of his sides shared, but there were many things the other part had no idea about. The Jaehyun that everyone knew, loved his sister more than anything in the world. He would die for her if needed. She was his family, everything. That was why he begged him to go to her. To see her. He missed her and Jaehyun could feel the tightness in his chest. But it was as it was, they did not share everything. This side of him did not share those feelings, nor the thoughts about her. This side knew a lot more than the other. It could see a lot more than the other could. He understood things that his other side had neglected simply because this woman had said she was his sister. Truth was, the story was far more complicated. 

"There is certainly a part of me that misses you." He smiled. 

She sipped on the liquid in her glass. 

"You seem much better now." He looked around. "Almost like a completely different person." 

Her jaw tensed. 

"Jae Jae..." She stopped mid-sentence and swallowed. "I don't..." 

"You don't have to pretend anymore." He smirked. "I won't believe it." 

It took her a couple of seconds before she straightened herself up again, looking much more menacing than she had ever been. Jaehyun was not scared, he had known the truth for a while. Now it was time for his other side to know as well. 

She grinned. 

"So, you've finally given up on the act." He clapped his hands.

"Smart little kid." 

"Have you missed me?" He laughed. 

She scoffed as she sipped on her glass. 

"I only have one little question for you." 

"Do I look like I want to be bothered by your questions?" She dismissed him. 

"What did he give you?" 

Her jaw tensed up once again. 

"What did he promise you for you to hand me to him?" Jaehyun leaned closer. 

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She tilted her head while grinning. 

"I'm not threatening you, _noona_." He smiled as he leaned closer and whispered. "But what do you think will happen to you when he gets what he wants?" 

"You certainly know a lot." She leaned close enough to have her lips right next to his ear. "Maybe more than you should." 

Jaehyun laughed. 

"Take my advice," She backed away. "Don't go around chasing ghosts."


	12. XII

Jaehyun had stood on the balcony for a few more minutes after Ji-hye had left. He tried making sense of her words, but in the end, he gave up. Deep down he knew what she meant, but he was not in the mood to think about those things at the moment. His chest was still tight. He examined the room, trying to find Jaemin or Haechan. He could see people getting more and more drunk, some even high. None of them seemed to realize what was happening around them and maybe that was exactly what the owner of the house and the non-humans wanted. Fragile little beings that were serving their purpose. Entertain the actual guests of the party.

He stared for a few more seconds, before making his way into the considerable living room. Haechan and Jaemin were nowhere to be seen, so Jaehyun casually walked towards one corner of the room. It was less crowded and it was relatively close to the bar, not that he had any intention of drinking. As he made his way through the room, more people stopped to gaze at him. But one of them felt particularly different, so much that it made Jaehyun stop and turn his head. Behind a group of people, there was a familiar face leaning against the wall. He tilted his head and their eyes met.

It was expected, but it still made a chill run down Jaehyun's spine. The room was silent, and everything was frozen in place. Even those who weren't human. The cigarette smoke was still, the glass that slipped from someone's hand and was quickly making his way towards the ground, was now frozen mid-air. Jaehyun grinned to mask his uneasiness towards what was happening. He gradually made his way towards the man, dodging the frozen people on his way.

“You again.” Jaehyun stood in front of the other man.

"Guilty as charged." He laughed. "I can't seem to stay away for long."

"Are you confessing to me?" Jaehyun arched a brow.

"How adorable."

"What exactly do you want?" Jaehyun looked around. "Show off?"

"I've told you before." He leaned closer. "I don't want anything."

"Liar."

"I can't lie." He smiled. "Not to you."

"Not lying doesn't mean you are telling the truth."

"Indeed." He straightened himself and leaned closer. "But I can show you the truth."

Jaehyun arched a brow, but the room had already begun dissolving. The surrounding people were gone and so was the room they had been previously standing in. He was standing in a room that resembled an office. Jaehyun knew exactly where he was, and he knew what this man intended, still he said nothing. The back of his mind was itching, and he knew it was fear his other side was feeling. He swallowed down the feeling, trying to calm it down. There was no point in fearing anything at this point. The room settled, and he was standing at one of the corners with the other man beside him.

The office doors opened and he inhaled sharply. Taeyong and Doyoung entered the room. Jaehyun did not know if this was a memory or they were seeing something that was happening at that exact moment, but the sight of both those men made him uneasy.

"Do you have a plan?" Doyoung made his way to the chair behind the desk in front of Jaehyun.

"Do you doubt my intentions?" Taeyong stopped in front of Doyoung with his back turned to Jaehyun and the other man.

"Have you given me any reason to think otherwise?"

"You're jealous."

Doyoung was silent.

"We need him." Taeyong crouched in front of him, putting his hands on his thigh. "And that's it."

"You want me to believe you are being selfish?"

"You seem to think I am." Taeyong's laughter made Jaehyun shiver. "I'm proving you right."

"Don't." Doyoung scoffed.

Taeyong sighed.

"I want the truth." Doyoung pulled out his necklace and rubbed the pendant.

"I've already told you." Taeyong looked over his shoulder and Jaehyun stilled. "We need him."

"That's it?"

"There's a lot more." Taeyong sighed once more. "A lot he doesn't need knowing, and we are not telling him."

Doyoung shifted in his seat.

"Don't act so shocked." Taeyong clicked his tongue. "I see it all, listen to it all, and I know just how dark your thoughts are. Don't look at me with those big eyes, trying to pretend you want anything different from his death."

"Don't you dare judge me," Doyoung warned.

"Judge you?" Taeyong laughed. "I'm no better than you."

Jaehyun did his best to hide his annoyance, but in the end, he gasped.

"So he will be dead by the end of this?" Doyoung seemed annoyed.

"It's the safest choice."

The room dissolved once more, and they slowly made their way to their original location. Everything was still frozen in place, and it was painfully silent. The other man was smiling at him, proud of himself. This was his intention. To make Jaehyun doubt Taeyong and his intentions, to change sides. He would be a fool if he did that, but he could not ignore whatever he had seen. If it was real or fabricated, it wouldn't matter. He never fully trusted Taeyong or anyone in that house, but he did not trust this man either. Still, he could use this newfound friendship to his advantage. Make him believe he wanted to be on his side.

"What was that?" Jaehyun cleared his throat.

"The truth."

"They want me dead?"

"Everyone needs you to die." He pinched Jaehyun's chin with his fingers.

"But not you."

"Exactly." He grinned.

"Who are you?"

"People call me many things." He smiled. "But you can call me Yeonghon."

Jaehyun arched a brow.

"I'll be in touch."

The silence was slowly replaced by people talking as the man in front of him vanished. Jaehyun was restless. Whatever had been shown to him, put doubts in his head. He did not trust anyone, but he could not overlook the conversation he had seen. His mind ran back and forth between those scenes until he stopped at one in particular. He stilled as he remembered how Taeyong had looked over his shoulder. He knew. Jaehyun gritted his teeth. That man knew they were there and maybe it was Yeonghon that let him know. It did not matter. Taeyong realized they were in that room and still said those things.

Jaehyun was angry in a way he did not know he could even be. He gritted his teeth and turned his hands into fists. Even though he did not want to admit, especially to his other side, he still cared. Enough for him to feel that way, betrayed. He did not know why or when he had become like that, but it was annoying. Taeyong was annoying. The way he would always act like a knight in shining armor in front of everyone else, but when alone he would plot against him. With Doyoung's help. Jaehyun did not know why he had become so angry. It did not make any sense to feel that way, but it was not going to go away any time soon. He focused back on the room. A young man was silently staring at him.

He did not have to do anything. That boy would obey, he would make everything easier. Jaehyun knew what he could do. What he wanted to do. His ears were ringing and there was loud screaming in the back of his mind, which he blatantly ignored. The young man calmly began walking towards him, not daring to break eye contact. He was stuck and Jaehyun knew it. It was easier like that. In a few seconds, he was staring deep down his eyes, seeing through his soul. The room was silent again. He could only focus on maintaining control over that man.

"Hi." He said breathlessly.

"Do you want anything?" Jaehyun grinned.

The man did not answer him and instead only looked flushed and breathless.

"Follow me," Jaehyun said as he turned around. 

Both men walked down the hallway and into a row of closed doors. Jaehyun closed his eyes for a second to focus. He put his hand on the doorknob of the door on his right and let himself and the other man in. It was empty. But he already knew that. There was a reason for that. He did not want spectators for this. The man stopped on the other side of the room and stared at him. Jaehyun closed the door and turned to face him, taking in his looks. The man was completely mesmerized, like a child who stopped in front of the candy shop. His broad shoulders were the only thing that made him look more manly, in every other aspect he looked quite feminine. Jaehyun slowly walked to the other side of the room and then stopped in front of the other man.

"What's your name?" Jaehyun asked with a smile.

"Seon Ho." He smiled.

The moment their lips touched, the room became cold and dark. The lights flickered and then dimmed down, making it almost hard to see. Jaehyun still had his eyes open, so he could see Seon Ho slowly burning and vanishing into nothingness. His skin slowly turned into soot as he became nothing more than bright particles in the air. He did not even scream. He disappeared just like that. What was once a man, was now small particles flying around in the room. Jaehyun stepped back and took a deep breath. The lights had gone back to normal, and he was able to see the last bits of that man disappearing completely into oblivion.

He did not know who that man was, what he did if he had a family. He was no more. Seon Ho was gone, and no one would ever know what had happened to him. Jaehyun gasped for a second, a bit shocked by his anger. He knew he could do that, knew he could end a life just like that. But for some reason, Jaehyun did not question himself even for a second. He just chose that young man out of all the people staring at him and ended his life like it was that simple. He knew that man hadn't felt anything, but the feeling was strange. Almost as if it was wrong. This side of him was unused to that. Still, it was done, and he would not think about it. Not at that moment. Yes, it was that simple. Jaehyun sighed as the door behind him suddenly opened.

"Lost?" A female voice asked.

He turned around, and Joohyun was standing in the door frame, looking suspicious.

"I got confused with the doors."

"Let me guess," She had a dry tone."You were looking for the bathroom."

"Not really." Jaehyun walked past the woman. "I was looking for someone."

Joohyun said nothing else, but Jaehyun knew she was amused. That would prevent her from being suspicious in the wrong way. She laughed and then put her hand on his shoulder, making Jaehyun turn and face her. The smile on her lips was a bit creepy, but he knew that was exactly her plan. To make him uncomfortable. Yet, he wasn't bothered by the slightest. He took a long look at her hand and then focused back on her face, making sure his features did not change. Once more she looked amused.

"It's been a while."

"Since?" Jaehyun raised his brow.

"After being around for so long," She licked her lips. "It seemed that nothing amazed me anymore until you showed up."

Jaehyun moved away, letting her arm fall back to her side.

"Trust me, darling," She laughed. "I'm just as shocked."

Jaehyun stepped back even further.

"But one thing I'm certain." She laughed.

"About?"

"There's going to be a bloodbath."

 _"Noona."_ Jaemin interrupted as he drunkenly called Joohyun from the end of the hallway.

"I've told you to stop calling me that." She walked away while rolling her eyes.

Jaehyun stood still. He watched as Jaemin and Joohyun walked away. Both of them sparing him a look as they walked back into the large living room. For some odd reason, the back of his mind was silent. No screaming nor pleading. It made him feel uneasy. If everything had shifted inside him. He shook his head calmly and made his way back to the living room. He had ended a life, and yet he acted as if nothing had happened. Jaehyun had seen that young man vanish in front of his eyes, but that was not what was bothering him. Instead, he was curious about what that woman had told him. Warned him.

He sat down at one of the couches without realizing Dong-hyuck was there. He was talking to a few other people and Jaehyun only noticed when he heard the other man tapped him on the thigh, bringing him back to reality and forcing him to lift his head to stare at the other man.

"Jesus," He grimaced. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Something similar."

"These are my friends..." He stopped as he looked at the couple sitting opposite them and frowned. "What are your names again?"

"Yu-ji and Jae In." The man said with a smile.

"Yes, yes." Dong-hyuck took a sip of his drink. "That."

Jaehyun was unamused.

"We were playing a game." He grinned. 

"What game?"

"Don't lie." Jae In looked excited.

"As I was explaining to my friends here," He scratched his nose. "I can smell a lie from a mile away. Their job is to make me believe their lie."

"And if they win?" Jaehyun was amused.

"I will grant them a wish." The sly smile on Dong-hyuck's lips growing wider.

"If they lose?" Jaehyun knew the answer, but he decided to indulge the other man.

"They have to give me something in return."

Jaehyun grinned as he looked at that poor couple who did not know what was coming their way.

"Ladies first." Dong-hyuck gestured at Yu-ji.

"I..." She laughed. "Don't like wine."

Dong-hyuck smiled as Jae In and Yu-ji giggled. She tested the grounds to see if there would be a response. It was clever but boring, and Jaehyun could feel the energy around Dong-hyuck growing stronger. He would do what he did best, manipulate, and create chaos. But he still gave those two a chance, they just didn't know any better.

"I have two brothers." Jae In held back a giggle.

"That is a lie." He nodded.

"He has two sisters." Yu-ji laughed as she covered her mouth. 

The two giggled a bit more, but Dong-hyuck seemed unfazed by it. The end of the road was nearing and those two had no clue what was expecting them at the end. But Jaehyun knew and somehow he liked that outcome. 

"I don't love my wife." Jae In looked at Yu-ji laughing.

Dong-hyuck grinned slightly and then tilted his head with an amused look on his face. The dramatic pause was annoying, but Jaehyun let him play his game without interrupting it. 

"Not a lie." 

It took Jae In a second to realize what the other man had said, and he laughed a bit more frantically. Dong-hyuck and Jaehyun were amused. Yu-ji had become silent as she stared at her husband. Things would only get worse and those two were already trapped in his dangerous little game. It did not take much to create chaos, and Jaehyun could feel that was that man's biggest ability.

"What?" He exclaimed with a certain desperation. "I've won!"

"I've told you," Haechan grinned."I can smell a lie from a mile away."

"What?"

"I have cheated on my husband." Yu-ji blurted out, putting her hands over her mouth as soon as she spoke.

Jae In turned to his wife and stared at her with a grimace. Her eyes were wide and her face red with shame. If this was a lie or not, it did not matter. Dong-hyuck liked the chaos he had created, and that was all that mattered. To see chaos in its purest form. Truth or not, their trust was tainted by Dong-hyuck's sick game, and at the end that was it. Nothing mattered, just the fact that he had destroyed something. It was fun to watch.

Jae In was desperate as he tapped his fingers on his thigh.

"This is a game in which you have to make me believe your lies." Dong-hyuck clicked his tongue as he stood up. "Both of you failed to do so."

"I LOVE MY WIFE!" Jae In exclaimed at last from the top of his lungs as he tried grabbing her hand, but Yu-ji pulled it away.

"No point in trying to win now." Dong-hyuck grinned.

The couple looked utterly destroyed. Yu-ji stared down at her hands, while her husband tried to say something to no avail. That was it, what Dong-hyuck wanted. Lies or not, his ability was destructive. Words can easily hurt someone, even more so than a knife. 

"Wait!" Yu-ji spoke suddenly. "What do you want?"

"You have already given me my prize." Dong-hyuck bowed as he walked away, followed by Jaehyun.

The couple was left with the broken pieces of their relationship. Dong-hyuck made his way to the bar and Jaehyun slowly followed behind. If someone were to look at Dong-hyuck from Jaehyun's point of view, they would never say he was capable of doing what he had just done. Destroying people just for the fun of it, but in the end, that was what he did. Played games and created chaotic situations from which people could not free themselves from. It was sad and amusing at the same time. Jaehyun liked what he could do, and the way he did it. 

"What do you want to drink?" Dong-hyuck's question brought him back to reality.

"Whatever you're having."

The other man hummed and then turned to talk to the bartender, who quickly filled two cups with the liquid from a bottle that had whiskey written on it. Don-hyuck thanked and then gulped half of the liquid down.

"What you did back there," Jaehyun took a sip of the whisky. "Do you enjoy it?"

"Enjoying it is not the right word for it."

Jaehyun tilted his head.

"You think these are just little games." He finished his glass. "Don't you?"

"Me?"

"All people do is lie." He tapped the bar lightly with his index. "They lie to their friends, family, and the people they love. We are all just lies that have been told too many times and became truths at some point." 

"I don't mind the lie." Jaehyun smiled. "I'm more worried about the liar." 

Dong-hyuck was on the verge of answering, but something stopped him. He put his hand in the pocket of his jacket and fished out his phone. He looked at it for half a second before answering. Jaehyun expected him to answer whatever the person on the other side had said, but he just listened quietly. The call was not long, it was probably too short for it to be considered a proper phone call, but Dong-hyuck's face was now grim. 

"Go find Jaemin." His tone was dark. "We're leaving." 

It took Jaehyun a total of five minutes to find the other man. Jaemin's loud laughter could be heard from across the room and it made it pathetically easy to find him. Jaehyun told him they had to leave and after a long complaint from him, he finally agreed to leave. Dong-hyuck was already looking impatient by the door as the two men walked towards him. He was not alone, Joo Hyun was talking to him with a deep frown. As they approached, she changed her demeanor and offered a small smile that did not fool a single person in that small group of people. They all said their goodbyes and the three men left quickly. Jaehyun still did not know what had happened, but it seemed bad. 

The hallway was filled with water and it splashed everywhere whenever people walked around. Jaehyun had been standing against a wall watching as people came and went from the room in front of him. The 2 inches of water had already soaked his shoes, but he did not mind. Indeed, what had happened was bad. He could see Doyoung and Taeyong standing inside the room talking to other members of the family. Their faces were all familiar, but for some reason, Jaehyun could not focus on them. He could not feel a single thing as he stood in that hallway. He knew he would be able to at least sense the energy around, but this time there was nothing. 

The silence slowly took over the room as people quietly disappeared. Doyoung was one of them. He had stopped to stare at Jaehyun, but in the end, said nothing. He left with a dark miasma hovering around him. Taeyong was still inside the room, staring at the wet floor. He looked lost and somewhat hurt. It was strange to see that. A man with no heart, but who seemed like his heart had been broken into a thousand pieces. Jaehyun finally moved and entered the room. 

"Who did it?" Jaehyun calmly asked. 

"If I knew," Taeyong sighed. "I'd be dealing with them at this moment." 

"How are they?" 

"Early to say." Taeyong finally lifted his gaze. "Kun is in bad shape." 

"And Jungwoo?"

"He's going to be out of it for a while." Taeyong turned to face Jaehyun. "He was very shocked."

"Were they alone?" 

"Jungwoo said he had business with Kun." Taeyong's feet splashed water around as he walked towards Jaehyun. "It sounded rather serious." 

"And you didn't think it was a good idea to listen?" 

"I strongly suggest you tread carefully." 

"Or what?" Jaehyun tilted his head. "Someone attacked Kun and Jungwoo inside your house, and you're just standing there begging for people’s pity." 

"You rather I walked out on the street and killed half the city to find who did it." 

"That would be a good start." Jaehyun grinned. 

"Your blood lust will be the end of you." Taeyong inhaled sharply. 

"Are you sure?" He laughed. "I thought you would be man enough to do it yourself." 

"Interesting." 

"What?"

"One side is naive, and the other one is reckless." Taeyong grinned. "A nice combination of personalities." 

"I don't think the naive one will be back anytime soon." Jaehyun walked closer. "So don't treat me like I am beneath you." 

Taeyong stared at him silently.

"Who would doubt the nice and caring Lee Taeyong, right?" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Funny how you were the last person to see Jungwoo before he was attacked." Jaehyun walked around the other man with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "And the first person to find both of them." 

Jaehyun knew exactly what he was doing. He had heard that sentence so many times, but for some reason, he had always thought of it as annoying. There was a reason as to why there was so much water on the floor, and Jaehyun was not stupid. Kun was a very smart man and Jaehyun respected him even more at this point. Water did not lie. The amount of water on the floor was enough for the culprit to be seen. Whoever stood on it, would be facing an invisible and silent trial and Taeyong was not exempt from it. When Jaehyun arrived at the crime scene and saw the man staring at the floor, he knew he had already figured out that much. The water only had to be asked the right question to show the truth and just like that, the culprit would be caught. 

The floor had already been stirred time and time again as people walked around, but the culprit was not there. Jaehyun had silently observed every single person that stood in the room and the hallway, and the culprit was not among them. The water was now the only thing he needed to see if Taeyong was indeed involved in the attack or not. To see the truth. Jaehyun walked around the man a couple of times, not saying a single word. The room was silent apart from the sound of water being splashed around. 

"Ask away," Taeyong said calmly. "It will show you what you want." 

"I'd be careful if I was you." Jaehyun finally stopped.

Taeyong seemed rather shocked as he looked down to see the water had changed color. The deep red was now focused around the two of them, and he knew why. Jaehyun had too many lies and darkness around him, so he would surely attract attention. Taeyong was the same, even though he acted as if he was some pure soul. The darkness and lies that rested deep down inside of him, were the reason the water changed to such deep color around both of them. None of those two were pure. 

"Did you do it?" Jaehyun stared intently at the other man. 

"No." 

"But you know more than you are telling." The gentle ruffle of the water made it clear. 

"You may think you understand things, but in reality, you know very little Jaehyun." Taeyong smiled. 

"I can help, you know?" Jaehyun walked around once more, focusing on the water. "Help you find who it was, who betrayed you." 

"I never spoke of betrayal." 

"Don't play stupid." Jaehyun laughed. "Would anyone dare to come here and attack someone like Kun or Jungwoo?" 

"Don't speak nonsense!" Taeyong growled. 

"Why didn't Kun do anything?" Jaehyun lowered himself and crouched, putting his finger in the water. "We tend to trust people we call family." 

Jaehyun lifted his gaze and stared at Taeyong with a grin. The other man had understood him. It was an inside job. Someone from the family had attacked Kun and Jungwoo probably walked in while everything happened. The only witness was in some sort of induced coma. The problem to find who it was, became bigger by the minute. The water ruffled for another second and then Jaehyun stilled. The redness of the water completely dissipated and it was clear again. He stood up abruptly while drying his finger on his jacket. 

"I think both of us are innocent." Taeyong licked his lips. 

"About this, yes." Jaehyun smiled. 

"How did you know?" 

"About?" Jaehyun turned his back to Taeyong and began inspecting the room. 

"The water and the fact it was someone from inside?" 

"The same way you did." Jaehyun walked up to the wall. "I just don't need to pretend." 

"Is there a reason why you are so annoyed by me?" 

Jaehyun turned around as he pressed his finger against the wall.

"I wish I could hate you, but I can't." He smiled. "The other side won't let me." 

"Quite childish."

Jaehyun rubbed his fingers against the wall a bit too roughly. Taeyong had annoyed him. That man loved putting everyone beneath him as if the world was filled with idiots and he was the only one who knew the truth. The way Taeyong always took Jaehyun for an idiot, was extremely annoying and made him angry in a way only Taeyong ever could. It had been like that since the first time he had ever seen him. His other side was too naive to understand Taeyong's true intentions, but that was not him. From the moment they met, he knew that man was not what he was showing. 

"Me?" Jaehyun said at last. 

"You should stop acting like a spoiled child that thinks it deserves all the attention in the world and start acting like a member of this family, as an adult. Your little games and movie-like sentences are extremely tiresome and annoying. You should begin understanding your place in this house and act accordingly." 

Taeyong stepped closer, a faint blue glow in the back of his eyes. 

"If you are so annoyed and mad at me for giving you this opportunity, stop wasting my time and leave." 

Jaehyun gritted his teeth. 

"I expect your answer tomorrow." Taeyong headed for the door. "Choose wisely, Jaehyun." 

Jaehyun stood still for a few minutes after Taeyong left. His hands had curled into fists, and he was trembling slightly. He continued to stare at the water for a few more minutes and then headed out of the room. Jaehyun couldn't focus on anything besides those words. Leave. Taeyong had brought him there in the first place and now wanted him to leave. Wanted him to go back to his fake life that was not there anymore. The woman he called sister for so long would not be waiting by the door and the other woman he stupidly called aunt would not be inside making dinner. It would be just him inside that small and empty house. Somehow that felt better than staying inside that bunker. 

Jaehyun wobbled to the elevator, but this time he did not press the buttons he was already familiar with. Jaehyun pressed the top button. The one he assumed would take him to the entrance. The elevator doors closed, and he closed his eyes alongside while drawing a deep breath. 

"Don't leave!" 

Jaehyun opened his eyes only to see himself staring back at him amidst the darkness. His other side. 

"This is not the time." He warned. 

"You can't leave." The desperate tone was annoying. 

"Why?" He hissed. "What is it about Lee Taeyong or any of those people that makes you so desperately want to stay?" 

There was no answer. 

"He is a liar!" Jaehyun growled at himself. "They all are! You can't trust any of them." 

"I don't trust you." His voice trembled. 

"Stop being so naive!" Jaehyun hissed again. "I'm the only person you can trust. If anything happens to us, I'm as good as dead! That's why I will protect you and that disgusting thing inside of us!" 

"Let me out." It begged. 

"I can't." He sighed. "You will get us killed." 

"Please!" He kneeled. "Just let me out!" 

Jaehyun sighed. A small ding sounded in the back of his mind, reminding him that he had stepped into the elevator. 

"Soon, ok?" He breathed out. "Soon." 

Jaehyun closed and then opened his eyes once more. He was back inside the elevator, and what greeted him was a bit curious. There was a black door at the end of the small corridor. He stepped out of the elevator and headed for the door, being hit with the strong smell of urine the moment he opened it. Jaehyun pinched his nostrils to avoid the smell, but it was useless. It was extremely strong and disgusting. Jaehyun looked at both sides of the alleyway, but there was no one around, only garbage bags and a man that seemed to have passed out in his vomit. Jaehyun grimaced. 

"I was wondering when you would leave that place." The deep voice sounded behind him. 

He turned around and squinted his eyes as he stared into the shadows. It wasn't hard to see in the darkness for him, but there was something about that dark figure that just did not sit right. It calmly walked forward and made itself visible. Someone unknown, someone familiar. Yeonghon. For the second time that night, they met. He had a wicked smile on his lips, but it somehow felt welcoming. It was the same as Taeyong. A smile that would make you believe whatever either of them told you. 

"Another mask?" Jaehyun tilted his head. 

"Safety measures." He smiled. "I can't just show it to anyone." 

"Not even me?" Jaehyun probed. 

He laughed but didn't answer the question. 

"What do you want?" Jaehyun turned around to look at the alley again. 

"To make sure you are alright." He smiled. 

"How nice." Jaehyun scoffed. "You care." 

"Why wouldn't I?" He walked closer. "You are important to me." 

Jaehyun raised his eyebrow and unconsciously took a step back. He did not trust anyone who suddenly grew an interest in him, even less someone who said he was somehow important. That man was as dangerous as anyone could get, but Jaehyun was too curious to let it go. He was going to play his game, no matter how dangerous it was. He had to know who was behind those attacks and what that man wanted with him. Jaehyun let himself get swallowed by him for the sake of uncovering the truth. 

"Care to join me for the night?" 

"Where?" Jaehyun licked his lips. 

"It's a surprise." 

The moment he ended his sentence, a black car drove into the alleyway and stopped near them. Jaehyun did not have a choice other than accepting that invitation. He looked at the car and then back at Yeonghon. 

"Fine," Jaehyun said as he walked towards the car. 

A man exited the driver's seat and opened the door for him. Yeonghon walked to the other side of the and entered, sitting beside Jaehyun in the car. The door was closed, and the driver started the car once more, taking them out of the alley and into the larger streets. Jaehyun was unsure if he had made a mistake or not.


	13. XIII

Both men said nothing during the whole ride. Jaehyun only silently looked out the window and ignored the annoying glances he would get from time to time. Yeonghon seemed too pleased with himself and that was troublesome. The man seemed like he had won and Jaehyun was the prize. As he had imagined before, this man was dangerous. Whatever his plans were, they involved him and Taeyong. He already knew Ji-hye was somehow involved in this too, but the pieces were simply not coming together. Why would anyone kidnap those children, curse the SPA, fool Seungkwan and attack Kun and Jungwoo inside of their own home? And those were the things that had happened when he had already arrived. The kidnaps and attacks before him arriving in the city were also too strange and seemed related. More information was needed, and Jaehyun was sure he could get it from Yeonghon. 

The silence continued up until they arrived at what seemed like a restaurant. It was not fancy or special, it looked like any ordinary restaurant he had seen before on the street. Yeonghon exited the car and then walked around to open the door for him, extending a hand, and waited patiently as Jaehyun decided if he should take the man's hand or not. In the end, accepted the gesture. He exited the car and walked behind as they made their way into the restaurant. Yeonghon spoke to the young lady that was by the door, and she smiled back at him. She then proceeded to show them the way. Their table was in the back, distant from all the other customers. 

Jaehyun pulled a chair for himself and Yeonghon sat opposite to him. There weren't many customers inside, so it was relatively silent. Jaehyun would have to be careful with what was said if he didn't want people to know they were not humans. At least, he wasn't. 

"They can't hear us," Yeonghon said as he put a napkin on his lap. 

"Sorry?" Jaehyun was caught off guard. 

"If you are worried about them hearing us, don't be." Yeonghon smiled as he poured water into Jaehyun's cup. "They don't know we are here." 

Jaehyun looked around for a second and indeed the people in the restaurant did not even spare him a glance, exactly as if he wasn't even there. Yeonghon was probably using some sort of trick to make sure they remained hidden from those people. Jaehyun's suspicions grew deeper. 

"Why are we here?" 

"For whatever reason you like." He smiled. 

"Stop with the cryptic answers." Jaehyun hissed. "It's annoying." 

"I'm sorry." The man sighed.

"And what do you want?" 

"I know I've said a few times that I did not demand anything from you." He sipped on his water. "But there is something." 

"My trust." 

"Exactly." He smiled once again. 

"I don't trust anyone." Jaehyun clicked his tongue. "Especially you." 

"I want to change that." He put his two hands together, almost begging. "Slowly." 

The same young woman that had greeted them at the door, interrupted their conversation as she came back to their table. She said nothing but put several plates of food in front of both men. Some contained simple dishes like dumplings and pieces of meat, while others had things Jaehyun was unsure of what was. She finished putting the plates then bowed and left. Yeonghon seemed a bit too excited with the dishes and immediately began diving into the food. He smiled and gestured for Jaehyun to do the same. He eyed the meat dish for a few seconds before deeming it inedible. It was a very interesting dish with colorful vegetables on top, but Jaehyun didn't trust that man and Jaehyun was not risking eating anything. 

"I'm not hungry." His stomach silently rumbled. 

"Well," he put more food in his mouth."Suit yourself." 

Jaehyun said nothing for a long time. He only watched as Yeonghon stuffed his mouth with more and more food. It did look delicious, but Jaehyun was determined not to eat anything. 

"Ask." 

"What?" Jaehyun was caught off guard again. 

"Whatever you want to ask." He laughed. "My real name, intentions, why am I sitting here eating with you. Don't be shy, ask." 

"Who are you?" 

"Not fair." He pouted. "You could have started with something easier." 

Jaehyun was unamused. 

"Fine." He rolled his eyes like an annoyed teenager. "I'm ancient." 

Jaehyun impatiently inhaled. 

"There are many folk tales about people like me, most of which depict us as very evil beings. But that's only half of the story." 

Jaehyun was silent. 

"We can be evil when provoked, but we prefer going unnoticed by most people." He grinned. "That is why we lurk in the shadows. People have many misconceptions about that. They think dark corners are the home of dark creatures. That is not entirely true."

"Ghosts." 

"Yes." He laughed. "You could say so."

"And why do you need me?" 

"I have many reasons for that, but unfortunately, can't talk about it right now." He had some sort of regretful look on his face. "I just want you to know you can trust me." 

Jaehyun arched his brow as he licked his lips. Trust. That word was troublesome, and it had been appearing far too much in his life. Taeyong wanted his trust and now this man wanted it as well, but strangely he did not trust either of them. Jaehyun could never. Those two were determined to use him until Jaehyun was no longer needed, and then get rid of the useless Jaehyun. He could not allow that to happen. It was a difficult decision to make, but he realized he had already done it the moment he entered the car with Yeonghon. Jaehyun was now trapped in this man's game. 

"Fine." He said, ignoring the bitterness in his mouth. "I will try." 

"Really?" Yeonghon did not look convinced. 

"Is there anything I can do about it?" He tried not to hiss. "You will continue to show up until I accept it, so might as well do it already." 

There was silence following and Jaehyun was confused by it. Yeonghon became serious, and the air around him grew thicker, he had calmly stopped stuffing his mouth with food and gently set his chopsticks aside. Yeonghon inhaled and then propped both his elbows on the table and put his hands together. He finally looked like Jaehyun wanted him to look like, a villain. The darkness in his eyes and the deafening silence made it even frightening to look, but Jaehyun stood his ground and did not make any moves or sounds. Jaehyun had realized he had miscalculated his actions and that was indeed frightening. Jaehyun knew Yeonghon was somewhat powerful, and Jaehyun knew he had a grand plan that had already been set in motion, but it was at that moment Jaehyun realized how big things indeed were and how he was a pawn just waiting to be played by Yeonghon's fingers. 

"I know I can come across as a very understanding man." Yeonghon licked his lips. "But I have a limit to what I find acceptable." 

Jaehyun swallowed, ignoring the dryness in his throat. 

"If you reject my offer, I will not bother you again." He intertwined his fingers and lowered his tone. "But I will not let you stand in my way. Do not get confused. I protect my own and if you choose me, you will only know my good side."

"Interesting," Jaehyun said at last while he picked up a small amount of food with his chopsticks.

Jaehyun put the small amount of food in his mouth, ignoring the loud screaming in the back of his mind. Plans could be changed, and he had done just so. That small gesture was the answer Yeonghon was waiting for and the smile on his lips made it clear that he had understood it. Jaehyun knew that he had just walked into a trap, but as long as he played his cards right, things would go accordingly. Jaehyun slowly silenced the screams in his mind and continued to pick up small amounts of food as Yeonghon spoke non-stop. Jaehyun would hum from time to time or even offer a smile, but he was silently making plans of his own. 

The one-sided conversation continued for a long time but it eventually stopped. Both men walked out of the restaurant after bowing to the young lady who had tended to them during their whole meal. As soon as they stepped out of the restaurant, Jaehyun looked up and stared at the sky. The darkness was almost gone, and he knew dawn was near. When Jaehyun looked down, the other man had a faint smile on his lips. He looked rather amused by Jaehyun, and that made a small shiver run down his spine. Yeonghon was a nice man when he wanted to, but he was far more dangerous than Yeonghon let show. 

The elevator door opened and Jaehyun sighed as he stepped out of it and into the hallway. His house was a very silent place, but somehow it was even more silent now. Maybe because people were still stunned by the attack that had happened earlier. Jaehyun shook his head, trying to ignore thoughts he knew were not his. He suddenly felt light-headed and, to prevent him from falling to the ground, put his hand against the wall and closed his eyes. His other self was sitting on the ground with his head hanging low. He sighed and walked up to the sniffling person in front of him, taking a seat opposite him. 

"Why are you crying?" 

"I'm scared." He said with a low voice. 

"Of?" Jaehyun tilted his head. 

"You!" He hissed, lifting his head and showing his puffy and red face. 

"I would never do anything to you," Jaehyun said with a small voice. "I am you, after all." 

"Why did you do that?" 

"What?" Jaehyun was unsure. 

"Went with that man!" 

Jaehyun sighed for a second and then looked around. It was dark and gloomy. He had forgotten how bad it was to stay trapped in that place, and that side of him had never stayed there, not for this long. His chest tightened. Jaehyun knew he would have to find a way to let him out, but was a bit uncomfortable with the idea of losing control, of going back to this miserable place. 

"I have stayed in this place for too long," Jaehyun said calmly. "I'm not punishing you for locking me up in this place for all those years. You didn't know." 

His answer was a sniffle. 

"I want to find a way where you don't have to stay here." Jaehyun put his hand forward, almost begging for it to be held. "Where you can stay out with me." 

"How?" He slowly put his hand on Jaehyun's. 

"Someone has to stay here." He sighed. "Something." 

His eyes grew wide, and he pulled his hand back. That side could be naive, but he knew exactly what Jaehyun had said, what his plan was. If both of them were able to stay out of there, something else had to stay. He knew that darkness was what was inside of both of them, but it had to hold on to something. It would not go away, so something had to stay within its belly. 

_ Jaehyun. _

After hearing his name being whispered, Jaehyun shook his head slightly. He sighed and then stood up, walking away calmly. His eyes fluttered open, and he was leaning against the wall again. Doyoung was standing in front of him, making him grimace. The other man had a worried look on his face, which was strange, to say the least. 

"Are you alright?" He put his hand on Jaehyun's shoulder. "Did something happen to you?" 

Jaehyun shook his head and straightened himself, making Doyoung take his hand off his shoulder. He looked genuinely worried, which made Jaehyun uncomfortable. He forced a small smile, trying to make Doyoung back away without getting suspicious. 

"I just got light-headed." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm okay." 

"Are you sure?" Doyoung had a complicated look on his face. 

Jaehyun nodded, but the other man continued to stare. Doyoung looked at him from head to toe and Jaehyun knew Doyoung was not convinced. More questions would follow until he got angry at that man, but he was not in the mood for any of that so he just straightened himself a bit more and began to walk again. Doyoung stopped him with a hand on his chest, making Jaehyun stop as he tried to walk past the other man. 

"I need to talk to you." Doyoung looked around, almost as if he was unsure and suspicious. 

"About?" Jaehyun was still looking straight ahead. 

"We can't talk about it inside the house." He looked around once again and then at his phone. "It's almost 6 am." 

Jaehyun was nervous, but he did his best to hide it. 

"Meet me in the garage in 10 minutes." Doyoung stared at him. 

Jaehyun nodded and turned to see the other man disappear around the corner. Something was off and Jaehyun was now anxious. That night had already had many twists to it, and he was tired, still, he had to go with Doyoung. Jaehyun had to find out what Doyoung had to say and he knew that if Doyoung could not say it inside the house, it was because Taeyong could not hear whatever he had to say. Jaehyun felt another shiver run down his spine as Jaehyun reached the door of his room. He looked down at his hand holding the doorknob, and he could see it shake. 

There was a soft rumble and then Jaehyun hit his head against the window, jolting him awake. Doyoung had been driving the entire time and at some point, Jaehyun had fallen asleep. He stretched himself and then looked out of the window, but they were in the middle of nowhere. There were only trees on both sides of the dirt road they were in, and he could not see a single trace of civilization around. Somehow the idea of Doyoung murdering him did not seem so far fetched. 

"We're almost there." Doyoung broke the silence.

"And where is  _ there _ ?" 

"Somewhere safe." He sighed. 

Jaehyun looked around again and stared at the trees whose leaves were already beginning to turn yellow and orange. The yellowish tips looked as if they were on fire when the sunlight hit them. The weather had already begun to change, but Jaehyun had not paid attention to it. Holed up inside that bunker he called home, things like that were being missed by him. The memories flashing in front of his eyes were not entirely his, but he liked reliving them. Remembering just how beautiful the scenery around his old house would get when Autumn arrived. 

The road was getting wider as they approached a wooden gate that was as tall as some of the trees. The car stopped as it approached the gate and Doyoung exited it, taking a few minutes to open the gate entirely. He then re-entered the car and drove up to a big house that looked almost like an ancient castle. Doyoung parked the car almost in front of the door and then exited it. Jaehyun unfastened his seatbelt and wobbly walked out of the car. His legs had gone numb from the drive, so he used the car to support him until his legs went back to normal.

As he stood in the sun, something caught his attention. The large tree sitting in the middle of the garden. It was an imposing tree but looked rather lonely sitting in the middle of the empty garden. He had stared at it for a few seconds before Doyoung took him out of his daze by clearing his throat. 

Jaehyun followed the other man inside and after a few turns, they arrived at a large living room. Jaehyun stopped when he realized they were not alone. Dong-hyuck and Yuta were sitting beside one another on one of the couches. But there was someone else with his back facing him. Doyoung had already entered the room, but Jaehyun continued to stand still as he felt yet another shiver run down his spine. The energy around that person was so thick it made breathing almost impossible. Jaehyun became light-headed once again, but this time he was too far from the wall to support himself. Jaehyun fell to his knees, making everyone in the room stand up, including the person who had his back to him. But he understood who it was. Yes, Jaehyun knew very well who it was. 

Yeonghon was wearing yet another mask, but his energy was something Jaehyun knew very well. Jaehyun could feel the tightness in his chest growing bigger and dread falling over him. Jaehyun did not know why, but he was sure this had to do with Yeonghon. The mask was a familiar face, Hyung-sik. Jaehyun did not know why he was wearing that face, but it was unnerving. Yeonghon walked up to him with a smile and gently helped him up. Jaehyun could only stare. 

"Don't say anything." He whispered into Jaehyun's ear. 

"Still drunk?" Dong-hyuck said with a grin. 

Jaehyun ignored the remark and sat down in a chair beside Yuta. He considered that place safe enough for him to stay and as far from Yeonghon as possible. If anyone in that room realized Jaehyun knew that man and that he was wearing his childhood friend's face, things could easily get out of hand. Jaehyun sat down quietly. 

"You asked for this meeting." Doyoung sounded annoyed. "Don't waste my time." 

"I wouldn't dare Dong Young-ssi." Yeonghon shook his head apologetically. 

Doyoung hummed. 

"I have information." He nodded quite frantically. "Good information." 

"Speak." Doyoung grinned, and Jaehyun knew he was using his power. 

"The person who attacked Kun-ssi is working with humans," Yeonghon said in a robotic voice. 

Jaehyun was unsure if he was acting or if Doyoung's power made him speak. He continued sitting silently, only observing the people in the room. 

"Humans." Doyoung contoured his lips with his index. "Let me guess, the kind who knows about our blood." 

"Yes." 

"And is that person working alone?" 

"No." Yeonghon lowered his gaze.

Doyoung turned to look at Dong-hyuck with an intense look but was only met with a shaking head. Jaehyun knew that Doyoung wanted to see if the man was lying, but Yeonghon was telling the truth. 

"Why Kun?" Yuta asked with a dark tone. 

"I-I am not sure." Yeonghon stuttered. "They said he was dangerous, that he knew things." 

"So that pathetic cult and our kind are working together?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"And that's it?" Yuta was annoyed. "What family are they from?" 

"I can't say, sir." Yeonghon lowered his gaze. 

Doyoung laughed loudly, making everyone turn to face him. 

"I think you're very brave." He clicked his tongue. "You know so much and yet you walk into my house with that information, knowing fully well what my family is capable of." 

Yeonghon swallowed when Doyoung stood up and began walking towards him. 

"The interesting thing is that you are more than brave, you're smart." He walked past Yeonghon and up to his desk. "Smart enough to know I cannot hold you inside." 

"I thought it would take you longer." Yeonghon lifted his head and grinned. 

"See you finally gave up on the act." Doyoung turned and sat at the edge of his desk. 

"Was it that obvious?" 

Jaehyun's body was trembling lightly. If Doyoung knew about Yeonghon, he probably brought him there because of that. Jaehyun turned to look, and he could see the bloody grin on Yuta's lips, Dong-hyuck also had some sort of dark miasma around him. The room had just become extremely hostile. 

"I will give you one last chance." Doyoung's tone was calm. 

"You know I can't lie, Doyoung-ssi." Yeonghon laughed as he turned to face Jaehyun. 

"I'm aware." 

"I came to make an offer." Yeonghon stood up, sparing Jaehyun a glance. "You are far more reasonable than Taeyong." 

"Is that so?" Doyoung grinned. 

"I want the same thing as you." Jaehyun was now staring at the floor, but he could hear the sarcastic tone. "And those people are standing in our way." 

"What do you want?" 

"Just your support." He laughed loudly. "Nothing more." 

"Taeyong would never agree to that." Yuta hissed. "The family only supports those who we trust." 

"Or who pays us." Doyoung retorted. 

The room was silent, and Jaehyun lifted his gaze again. Yeonghon had his back to him, but he could almost see the smile on his face or in Hyung-sik's face. It was too bizarre for him to fathom. Doyoung had a dark grin on his lips. One Jaehyun had only seen once and that was when he had made Jaehyun pass out from crying. This whole meeting had taken a very wild turn and Jaehyun felt cornered. Afraid his plans would be revealed and that Yeonghon would side with Doyoung and Taeyong against him. Losing control was not something he enjoyed. 

"I will consider your offer," Doyoung said at last. 

"Doyoung." Yuta had a warning tone. 

"Can we even trust him?" Dong-hyuck was annoyed. "We don't even know who he is." 

"Silence," Doyoung warned. 

Yeonghon giggled. 

"I will be in touch." Yeonghon looked around and then turned to leave. "Thank you for your time." 

Yeonghon left the room, and the front door slammed shut. Jaehyun finally took a deep breath and looked around, to his surprise all the other men were smiling. It was not as if they were happy, it was far more than that. They were pleased with themselves. Jaehyun was out of the loop, and it did not make him happy in the slightest. Jaehyun knew he had a grimace and when Yuta turned to face him, his smile grew wider. 

"I'm sorry Jaehyunie." He laughed. 

"You look like you've been punched in the face." Dong-hyuck grinned. 

"The two of you, leave," Doyoung ordered. 

It took a few seconds for both men to exit the room, but Jaehyun was now all alone with Doyoung in what looked like his house. He was extremely annoyed and the sly smile on Doyoung's lips only made things worse. Jaehyun had been used, and just the thought of it made him extremely angry. What he understood was that those men used him to lure Yeonghon. So they most likely knew he had met with him.

"What exactly am I doing here?" Jaehyun was almost growling. 

"Looks like you have a lot on your mind, Jaehyun." Doyoung grinned. 

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" 

"Is there a reason for me to think otherwise?" Doyoung began walking back to the sitting area. "I've told you before, I will protect my family." 

"Protect?" Jaehyun laughed out loud. "You know what you just did?" 

"Yes." Doyoung walked up to Jaehyun's chair and leaned down as he put his hands on each arm of the chair. "The same thing you did, a deal with the devil." 

Jaehyun was slightly taken aback. Doyoung knew who or what Yeonghon was and he also knew he had agreed to stand by his side. It was only half of the story, but it was still more than what Jaehyun wanted him to know. 

"Since you look too shocked to speak, let me say something." Doyoung's tone was calm again. "I'm doing this to warn you. You have no idea what you're dealing with and what he truly wants from you. That is the last person you want to pledge allegiance to and if you are as smart as you claim to be, you will listen to me." 

"Stop treating me like a child." Jaehyun regretted saying it the moment it left his lips. 

"I believe you've already been told this, but you should stop acting like a spoiled child, it doesn't suit you." He grinned. "If you decide to act like an adult, I might have a bit more patience." 

Jaehyun decided it was best not to answer.

"Good." Doyoung finally pulled back, granting him space to breathe. "Glad that I was able to put some sense in your head." 

Jaehyun continued to stare at Doyoung while he calmly took a seat. Jaehyun was mad, but he also knew he was in no position to complain. Doyoung knew he had talked with Yeonghon and if Jaehyun didn't play by his rules, things would get extremely complicated. Doyoung was not weak nor stupid, so Jaehyun could not just get rid of him. In the end, he knew he needed that man even though he hated admitting it. 

"Taeyong cannot know about this," Doyoung said in the end. "So this is me trusting you." 

Jaehyun tilted his head in confusion. 

"As I said, I protect my own and you are my family." He smiled. "So to protect us, this has to be done." 

"Thought you hated lies." 

"I hate being lied to, but I don't mind lying for a good purpose." 

Jaehyun grinned. 

"Can I trust you?" 

"What is in it for me?" Jaehyun liked the idea of annoying Doyoung. 

"You get to live." Doyoung licked his lips. "I'd say that is a very good reason to do as I say and not ruin the whole thing." 

Their conversation continued for a while longer, but to Jaehyun's surprise, he ended up investing in it. Doyoung proved to be different from what Jaehyun had first imagined and he began understanding the man. All his actions seemed to be focused on protecting what he treasured, his family. It was also his weak spot, but he did not mind showing that side to Jaehyun. That made him think about what Jungwoo had once said, Doyoung truly cared. 

Jaehyun was later sent to one of the rooms in the house to rest. He was exhausted after staying up for over 24 hours. As soon as Jaehyun got into the room, he collapsed on the bed and quickly fell asleep. As always his mind was blank and he was back to the dark empty place he had been before. His other side was sitting silently under the only source of light. Jaehyun always found it bizarre how his mind would look like a stage. 

"You saw it, didn't you?" 

"Why Hyung-sik?" He said with a trembling voice. 

"To annoy us." Jaehyun sighed as he took a seat opposite himself. 

There was a deafening silence. Neither dared to say a word. 

"Two days," Jaehyun whispered. "I will give you two days." 

The other side lifted his head and stared at him with disbelief. Eyes wide and mouth agape. 

"Don't let them play you," Jaehyun said in an even lower tone. "Don't ruin things for us." 

The room was dark, but there were a few specks of light coming through the window behind his bed. The sun had already set, but the sky was not completely black yet. Jaehyun sat on his bed and looked around. He was back, finally. Jaehyun had lost track of how long he had stayed in that dark place but was back in the real world. His other side kept his promise and let him out, but only for two days. Jaehyun looked around, cracking his neck in the process. The room was big, but it did not have anything other than his bed and a couple of chairs. Doyoung probably did not use this house for guests, so there was no point in completely decorating the room.

Jaehyun finally wobbled out of bed and stretched himself as soon as he got up. Jaehyun then walked out of the room and into the hallway, running into Yuta as soon as he opened the door. The other man had a grim look on his face, and he did not seem the least pleased in seeing Jaehyun, Yuta stopped walking nonetheless and stared at Jaehyun for a few seconds. He then scoffed and continued to walk down the hall. 

The house was not as complicated as the bunker back in the city, so after going down the stairs, Jaehyun was back in the living room. Doyoung was sitting on a chair with a glass of wine in his hand. He looked peaceful, and Jaehyun felt his lips curling into a smile. For some reason, he missed Doyoung and his complicated character. 

"Are you going to continue staring at me?" His tone stated he was annoyed. 

"S-sorry." Jaehyun shook his head as he made his way into the room and took a seat.

Doyoung said nothing but arched an eyebrow as the other man sat. Jaehyun was a bit nervous since people were getting used to his other side, which was far more intense than he was. His words echoed in his mind again. Don't ruin things for us. He could not be reckless nor do something that would make their plan turn into ash. He swallowed hard and then straightened himself. 

"Can I use your phone?" 

"Why?" Doyoung arched his brow even higher. 

"I promised Taeyong I would give him an answer today." He looked down. 

"You can tell me in person." The deep voice sounded behind him. 

Jaehyun did not have to turn to know that Taeyong was standing behind him. There was a sudden change in the air. It had gotten thicker. 


	14. XIV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Taeyong calmly walked towards the other two men and Jaehyun could only hear his footsteps, dread taking over him. The room was silent, making the light sound of footsteps extremely loud. Jaehyun did not even dare to look over his shoulder as Taeyong approached him. Doyoung sipped on his wine, looking annoyed by the whole scene. It was indeed a bit theatrical, but Jaehyun was not focusing on that. Taeyong finally got close enough for Jaehyun to see his face as he sat beside Doyoung on the other side of the room. It was an odd sight as if both were sitting on thrones. Jaehyun's mind was running wild. He took a deep breath but felt a sharp pain in his chest as he did so. 

"When I heard you and Doyoung had abruptly left," Taeyong smiled. "I felt a bit jealous." 

Doyoung scoffed. 

"To my surprise, you two were holed up in this house." Taeyong gestured around, clearly being sarcastic. 

"This is my house, Taeyong." Doyoung hissed, not bothering to look at the other man. "I suggest you behave." 

"Of course." He laughed loudly. "I would never disrespect you." 

"Why are you here?" Jaehyun managed to blurt out, unsure if it was a good choice.

Doyoung grinned and sipped on his wine once more. 

"Yes, Taeyong." He finally turned to face the man while his grin grew wider. "Why are you here?" 

"Who would have thought." He crossed his legs. "You two would be plotting against me." 

"You think too highly of yourself." Doyoung dismissed him. "You are not that important." 

There was dark laughter inside Jaehyun's mind and he knew exactly who it was. Jaehyun had to admit he also found the answer rather funny. It was not humiliating, but Doyoung did have the power to make people bend before him with just a few words, even Taeyong. Jaehyun forced his lips down, trying to hide the small smile that had mischievously appeared. 

"Don't you have something to tell me, Jaehyun?" Taeyong ignored Doyoung's remark. 

"Yes." Jaehyun looked at Doyoung who still had his small smile on his lips. "I will stay in the family and do my part." 

Jaehyun had to control the urge to not roll his eyes, even though he knew it was not him who wanted to do so. 

"I'm glad to hear that." Taeyong smiled softly.

"Jaehyun can stay with me," Doyoung said while looking at his glass. "He would be useful." 

"You?" Taeyong arched a brow.

"Do you have a problem with it, Jaehyun?" 

Jaehyun only shook his head. This was not the time to make any of those men angry, so he just agreed without giving much thought to it.

"Good." Doyoung stood up. "You can leave now, Taeyong." 

Doyoung exited the room and left Taeyong and Jaehyun alone. It was extremely awkward, but Jaehyun only swallowed and stood his ground. Jaehyun would have to remain calm even though he could hear his own heart beating loudly inside his chest. The growling inside his head indicated the annoyance he would have to deal with later. Jaehyun shifted in his seat and stared back at the other man. 

"Do you have anything else to say?" Jaehyun tried hiding his nervousness. 

"It's good to have you back." Taeyong smiled. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Your other side can be quite annoying." He stood up and walked towards Jaehyun. "This one is far nicer." 

"He doesn't trust you." 

"I don't blame him." Taeyong laughed. "Not even Doyoung trusts me." 

"Is he mad?" Jaehyun was not fond of any kind of gossip, but somehow he desperately wanted to know the answer to that question. 

"Extremely and he doesn't hide it." Taeyong sighed. "There is always something for him to be angry about." 

Jaehyun swallowed hard again, trying to ignore the fact Taeyong was standing in front of him with his imposing figure, looking extremely dominant. His fragrance was lingering in the air, making Jaehyun's mind fuzzy. He inhaled deeply and instantly regretted the decision. His chest tightened to a painful state and breathing got harder. He closed his eyes for a second and tried to steady his breathing, only to open them a second later and have Taeyong staring straight into his soul. He was crouching in front of Jaehyun's chair, holding on to each of its sides. Locking him in place. 

The room was silent, and only their breathing could be heard. Doyoung and the others were nowhere to be seen. There was no door to it, so anyone could arrive and see them staring at each other with eyes full of intent. It would be extremely easy to just lean forward. Taeyong, as always, was right there. Jaehyun was completely absorbed into the situation, but something felt off. The back of his mind was silent when it should be growling and hissing at him. He closed his eyes once more and breathed in. His mind was in disarray, and Jaehyun finally understood why. He shook his head and focused. The growling was back, and it was extremely loud, almost deafening. Jaehyun put his hand to his ears as he opened his eyes. 

Taeyong was sitting opposite him, looking unamused. It was the first time Jaehyun saw that look on his face and it was strange. His mind ran back to the first time that had happened before, how desire had bubbled inside him when both of them were alone in his room. The night in the hallway was the same, desire and illusions. And one person was the common denominator in both situations, Taeyong. 

"Stop!" Jaehyun growled. 

"Do you want me to?" 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jaehyun stood up abruptly ignoring the numbness in his limbs. "Is this all a game for you?" 

Taeyong merely tilted his head. 

_ Liar! _

"You're a liar!" Jaehyun growled.

_ Liar! _

"That's who you are!" Jaehyun's tone was close to screaming. "You lie to everyone, to me!" 

_ Hurt him! _

Jaehyun stopped. His breathing was erratic and his head was exploding. 

_ Now! _

"Stop!" Jaehyun lifted his hands, covering his ears and closing his eyes again. "Both of you! Stop!" 

_ You know you want to! _

"Jaehyun?" Taeyong called with a cautious tone. 

_ Get rid of him! _

"Who are you talking to?" 

_ Set us free! _

Jaehyun's head was spinning, his mind continued to scream the same word over and over again, it was maddening. Jaehyun finally let go. He dropped to his knees and screamed as loud as possible, ignoring the thunder roaring around him. Suddenly, everything stopped. The screaming, the thunder, and the air were not as thick. Jaehyun was afraid to open his eyes, afraid of what he might see. Something had happened, and he was curious to see what, but something told him that keeping his eyes closed would be better. Still, he had to know. Jaehyun slowly opened his eyes, but they quickly became wide. The room was a mess. It seemed as if someone had rummaged through it. The chairs were upside down, and the wallpaper had been ripped, the plants and books were scattered all around. 

Taeyong was frozen in place. Jaehyun carefully stood up again, still observing his surroundings. 

_ Sweetheart. _

Jaehyun stopped as soon as he heard the low whisper in his ear. He knew this was not his other side. He would never. But there was someone inside of him that would say that word, call him like that. There was no one in that room apart from him and Taeyong. Jaehyun walked towards the other man, avoiding the debris on the floor. He walked close enough to be mere inches from Taeyong and then crouched in front of him. Jaehyun sighed. He knew there was something else about that man, something Jaehyun could not fully grasp. Something that made him not worthy of trust. Still, he liked him. More than he cared to admit. 

_ Sweetheart. _

"Shut up!" Jaehyun growled. 

A long and slim shadow suddenly stood behind Taeyong. Jaehyun looked up at it and then sighed. That thing always chose the worst moments to appear, and it was now looming behind Taeyong. Jaehyun sat on the ground, exhaling loudly as he did. 

"What do you want?" 

The muffled sound of a voice could be heard nearby. Jaehyun looked around before his eyes fell on a broken piece of a mirror not far from him. He crawled and picked up the piece, determined to face that thing once again. He looked back at the frozen Taeyong and then at the long shadow standing behind him. Jaehyun knew it was a warning of sorts but still looked down at the mirror. Blue eyes glowing brightly. The wide smile was always annoying, how that thing would always look as if it was gloating. 

"Did you miss me?" Its smile grew wider. 

"Why are you here?" Jaehyun inhaled. 

"Why?" It tilted its head. "I'm always here, sweetheart." 

"Why now?" He did his best to hide his annoyance. 

"You were the one who called me." It laughed loudly. 

Jaehyun stilled and then lifted his gaze, looking around. He had done all that but did not know how. The answer had just been given. It was that dark thing inside of him, and he had just used its power. Abused it even. He closed his eyes once again and reopened them quickly. Jaehyun looked at the broken piece of mirror and then grinned. 

"Quite useful." 

"I can help you do much more, sweetheart." It licked its lips with its dark tongue. "So much more."

"Really?" Jaehyun ignored the loud hiss on the back of his mind. "How?" 

The room went dark. Jaehyun opened his eyes and it was almost as if he was dreaming. He was standing in a long corridor with dark wooden walls and many doors. Jaehyun walked down the hall, but his steps seemed light like he wasn't even touching the floor. Jaehyun knew the way as if he had done it so many times before. Down the hall and then to the left, first door on the right. The double doors were now standing in front of him. He pushed the doors open and entered the office, closing the door behind him. Jaehyun walked up to the bookshelf, pressed a small button on the back of the books and the door slid open. 

Jaehyun closed the door behind him and went down the stairs. The darkness did not bother him, as he could see perfectly fine. The long stair finally ended and Jaehyun could see small glints of light coming from a room to his left. The stone walls made the place even colder, but he enjoyed it. Jaehyun calmly walked to the room and there it was. The reason for everything. A black and golden chair facing something hidden under a black cloth. He walked up to it and then pulled the cloth, throwing it on the ground. An oval black mirror stood in front of him. Jaehyun smiled as he stared into it. He sat on the chair and looked at the mirror with an expectant look. The darkness grew deeper and far into the mirror, there were two glowing blue dots. Jaehyun smiled. 

"Found you," Jaehyun said at last. 

As he blinked, Jaehyun went back to the destroyed room he had been in before. He looked around for a second trying to make sense of what Jaehyun had just seen. It felt like a dream, but seemed was too real. He knew he had been in that place before, but it was impossible. Somehow, the dream was not a dream. That was reality. He thought back at the conversation his other side had with the mirror. It needed to be let out. Jaehyun now knew that place was the doorway for its freedom, and all it needed now was the key. He gasped. 

"Jaehyun?" Doyoung called. 

Jaehyun turned his head to face the man on the doorframe. At the same time, he heard someone's erratic breathing and when he turned his head, Taeyong was not frozen any longer. He looked down at his hand only to find a pool of blood. His grip had tightened around the broken piece of glass, and his hand was now a bloody mess. Jaehyun let go of the broken mirror and stood up quickly, covering his wounded hand with the other. 

"Why is my living room destroyed?" Doyoung's tone was strangely calm. 

"I-" 

"I will clean it up." Jaehyun sighed after interrupting Taeyong. "I just have to fix my hand first." 

"Clean it up?" Doyoung arched a brow. "The room is destroyed!" 

Jaehyun sighed again. 

"Come with me." Doyoung walked up to him and grabbed him by the arm. "And as I said Taeyong, you can leave now." 

Jaehyun stared at his bandaged hand and felt around the wound. It hurt but was bearable. Doyoung had cleaned and bandaged it himself without saying a word, he would look at Jaehyun from time to time with a cryptic look on his face. It was enervating, but in the end, Doyoung only gave Jaehyun a tap on his shoulder and left. He was sure Doyoung wasn't mad, which made things even stranger. But it also felt nice, as if that man somehow cared enough to take care of him. As always, Jungwoo's words came back to him. Jaehyun laid back on the bad and sighed extremely loud, closing his eyes as he did. 

The mirror was the only thing Jaehyun saw, it was somehow calling for him. That dark mirror was the door, but he was unsure if he should find it. Jaehyun had no idea what would happen if he were to find it and if the door was open, what would happen to him? Jaehyun grunted, putting the pillow on top of his face. His muffled scream was overpowered by the loud laugh that rang in his ears. 

_ "What is so funny?"  _ He thought to himself.

"Jaehyun?" Someone else in the room called.

He pushed the pillow to the side and sat up on the bed. Doyoung was standing in front of the bed with a grin. 

"Are you feeling better?" 

"Yes, thank you." Jaehyun forced a smile. 

"Like I said before." He licked his lips. "You will be working with me." 

Jaehyun nodded slowly. 

"Get dressed and meet me outside in 10 minutes." 

Jaehyun only followed the order he was given. Doyoung had told him to meet outside and so he did but Jaehyun took one last look at the destroyed living room again. Taeyong was no longer there, but the mess was. The glass was still everywhere, and the chairs continued upside down. Jaehyun promised himself he would clean that mess once they were back. Doyoung was standing outside, staring at the lonely tree in the middle of the garden. Jaehyun stared at the men for one second, before deciding he should say something. 

"What are we doing?"

"Let's go." He said with a dubious smile. 

Doyoung walked ahead and entered the car, ignoring Jaehyun. The engine was already roaring when Jaehyun sat down and put on his seatbelt. Doyoung pulled back into the small road that led to the house and drove silently. Jaehyun stared out the window again, looking at the black trees that stood alongside the road. They were imposing but were also fragile. Jaehyun let a small smile show. 

"Your work will involve blood." Doyoung suddenly spoke. "Are you okay with that?"

Jaehyun turned his head to face the other man and nodded. 

"Good." He grinned. "It's not a job for the weak." 

"What exactly is this job?"

"We have to attend a trial." Doyoung tapped on the steering wheel. "And your sister will be attending as well, but you won't talk to her." 

Jaehyun's mind led him back to the conversation he witnessed on the balcony the other day. He was not his sister nor did she care for him. His chest tightened at the memory. He silently nodded again. 

"Rest." 

Doyoung was not someone you said no to, especially when he used his powers to compel people to do something. Before Jaehyun could argue with him, his eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep. Once his eyes opened, it was snowing. Jaehyun looked down, only to find he was kneeling in the snow. The cold biting into his bones and making him shiver. Something liquid ran down his face and after touching it, he saw his fingers get smeared in red. He was bleeding. There was no telling where the blood came from, but the snow underneath him was now dyed in red. 

Jaehyun's breathing hitched and he continued touching the red liquid that seemed to be covering his face. He looked down once again, getting scared by the amount of blood that had pooled around his knees. When Jaehyun looked up, the setting had changed. In front of him stood the mirror he had seen before and he could see his reflection as the snow fell buried him further. There were streams of blood coming out of his eyes, nose, and ears. To make it even worse, Jaehyun's eyes had been pulled out and there were only dark holes in its place. He was now panting, trying to distance himself from the mirror, but couldn't. 

The sight chilled him to the bones, even more so than the snow that was making its way to his waist. Jaehyun was slowly getting buried but was still unable to move. He could only stare at the mirror in front of him, while he sat in the darkness. Jaehyun begged inside his head, pleaded to be let go, but the snow kept on falling and the blood continued to stream. Until there was no more. He was now standing beside a tree. Not just any tree, but the one in Doyoung's house. Jaehyun was staring ahead as someone stood with his back to him. It was somewhat familiar, but Jaehyun still couldn't figure out who it was. The sun was shining bright, and he couldn't see straight, but that was someone he knew. Jaehyun called the person a few times to no avail. 

Jaehyun continued to call out to the person, but it would not budge. Almost as if it was frozen, but he could see the small movement of his shoulders, so he knew that person was alive and not frozen in place. Jaehyun called out one more time and this time it finally worked, The person slowly began to turn. It was all in slow motion, almost like a movie. The person turned and walked slowly, the sun shining bright and covering its face. He was unsure if it was a woman or a man, but he knew for certain that it was someone familiar. The person casually walked up to him, almost close enough for him to touch. Jaehyun extended his fingers to pull the person closer. 

"We're here." Doyoung's voice brought him back to reality. 

Jaehyun jolted awake, leaving his bizarre dream behind. His breathing was erratic, and he could feel the small drops of sweat sliding down his cheek. Doyoung had a puzzled look on his face as he stared at the panting man in front of him. Jaehyun cleaned the sweat and took a big breath, trying to steady himself. He straightened his clothes and dried his sweaty palms on his pants. Jaehyun did not bother looking at Doyoung again. He knew the man was confused and possibly curious. Yet, he didn't feel like sharing. Jaehyun exited the car and waited outside as Doyoung grabbed his coat and exited as well. His face still showed he was curious. 

"Where are we?" Jaehyun managed to ask as he looked around the empty street. 

The abandoned buildings dominated the street, but somehow it did not feel empty. There was something else, almost like a veil that covered the whole street. If someone were to walk by, it would only see abandoned buildings with decadent façades. But Jaehyun could feel there was something else to it. He squinted his eyes, and the veil was slowly lifted. The buildings were not abandoned, they were only covering the truth that someone wanted to keep people from finding out. The storefronts had signs in front of them, golden signs. They were empty, but Jaehyun could faintly see they were not abandoned as they once looked. 

"This area belongs to another family." Doyoung had a grimace. "An annoying one." 

Jaehyun arched his brow. 

"They are old and love to abide by ancient practices." Doyoung rolled his eyes. 

"You said this was a trial." Jaehyun looked around. "Whose?" 

"You will soon find out." Doyoung began walking towards one of the abandoned buildings. 

Jaehyun followed behind, looking around with a bit of curiosity. The door screeched open, and they stepped into a large room filled with debris. Doyoung pulled out his necklace and rubbed it a few times and then grinned. He then said something in a very low tone. Jaehyun was unable to hear exactly what Doyoung had said, but there was now a door on the wall across the room that he was sure was not there before. Doyoung casually walked up to it and then opened it, making the bright light to illuminate the room. Both men stepped into the room and there was now a large room, lit by candles that were scattered everywhere. There were also two-tier grandstands on each corner of the room, except the large wall that had only a pulpit.

It was packed and Jaehyun was a bit taken aback by how many people there were. Doyoung looked over his shoulder and then began walking again, bowing to a few people as he made his way to the grandstand on the left of the pulpit. Two vacant seats on the first tier had a small symbol on their back. Doyoung sat first and Jaehyun took the seat beside him, still looking around anxiously. After turning his head around a few times, his eyes fell on the person he had been looking for. Ji-hye was sitting on the second tier of the grandstand in front of him. She had her dark hair in a ponytail and dark clothes covered by a jacket. She looked beautiful and menacing at the same time. 

The woman he used to call sister was sitting across the room and even though they were close to each other, this was the furthest he had ever felt. She was no longer his sister. She had never been. She was a woman that was in charge of taking care of him because someone had ordered her to do so. Their eyes finally met and Ji-hye grinned. The grin was slowly replaced by her attempt to say something. Jaehyun focused on the words being whispered until he finally understood what she had been repeating. JaeJae. Her red stained lips made her look like she had blood on them, making her look extremely alluring. And maybe that was the intention, to make people stare at her. Jaehyun sighed and then turned to face the pulpit, ignoring the young woman completely. 

"It will begin soon," Doyoung whispered in the silent room. 

"Doyoungie." Someone called behind them, making them turn their heads. 

Jaehyun's mouth was agape when he saw who had been sitting behind them the whole time. Minseok was smiling brightly. Jaehyun swallowed hard and forced out a very stiff smile. It had been a long time since he had Minseok, but he wasn't pleased to see him again. 

"Minseok-ssi." Doyoung bowed. 

"It's been a while since I saw the both of you." He tilted his head. 

"We've been busy." Doyoung smiled. 

"You should come by soon." His fingers made their way to Doyoung's shoulder. "Very soon." 

"Dear guests." A loud female voice interrupted their conversation. 

Jaehyun turned his head to look at the pulpit, and a very tall woman was now standing behind it. 

"You are all aware as to why you have been called to this courtroom once again." She continued. "As we are the family in charge of conducting the trials for our world, I urge that you let us do our work without any interference." 

All the people in the room agreed in a low tone.

"These perpetrators were brought in by another family." She looked at two men that sat on the grandstand to Jaehyun's left and both nodded in agreement. "But their crimes were considered too severe and so this family agreed to hold a trial." 

There were a few comments made in hushed tones within the courtroom. 

"I will read the offense and after the vote, if considered guilty, the sentence will be set accordingly." She looked around and then looked at the door Jaehyun had entered. "Bring the offenders." 

The door opened and three men were brought in. Their heads were covered with black pieces of cloth, and their hands were bound by a golden string. The three of them were put on their knees in the middle of the room, inside a circle drawn on the ground. Two out of the three men shook their heads frantically, trying to understand where they were. One of them just stood still, not bothering to move even for a second. The woman cleared her throat, and the fabric on their heads was removed, making it possible to finally see the men. Two continued to look around frantically, while the other stared intently at the woman on the pulpit. 

"These men are accused of kidnapping and draining the blood of two youngsters on the night of the yellow moon." She said with dark eyes. "Not only did these two youngsters were respected members of our community, but they were also on the path of assuming positions within the family." 

Jaehyun looked at the two men who nodded in agreement. 

"After the two boys were reported missing, an investigation was conducted that led to their bodies and the perpetrators." She gestured with her head to the men in front of her. 

"How do you plead?" She gestured to the men. 

Both men that frantically looked around begged the woman and said multiple times they were not guilty, saying they had done nothing wrong and did not know why they were there. The woman's face turned to a grimace. 

"Guilty." The silent man finally said and interrupted the woman. 

All faces turned to the man who was now smiling darkly at the judge. She was not the least shaken by his attitude, but Jaehyun could see the annoyance in her eyes. 

"Do you wish to confess?" 

"Confess?" He laughed. "You disgusting creatures think you can hide in broad daylight and do as you please? You should all burn! The time for the cleansing is coming, and you will all beg us for mercy. There will not be a single drop of tainted blood on this earth after we are done."

"Enough." Her voice echoed across the room. "Nor the people in this room nor I have time for your pathetic insanities." 

"YOU SHALL SEE, WHORE!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs. "I WILL DRAIN YOUR-"

"Silence." Doyoung's command silenced the man. 

The whole room turned to face him and he greeted all with a grin. Doyoung was apparently powerful and respected enough to do such a thing and not be punished for it. Jaehyun looked at the other man as his lips twitched with annoyance. Doyoung was angry and Jaehyun knew well. 

"Considering the severity of the crime, I propose these three men be sentenced together." She said calmly. "Is there someone who opposes?" 

There was only silence in the room. 

"Very well." She nodded. "What is the jury's decision?" 

"Turn your thumb upside down," Doyoung whispered into Jaehyun's ear. 

Soon every single person in the room had their thumbs pointing down. Jaehyun looked around and everyone seemed to be staring at him with disbelief. He turned his head only to find Doyoung with his thumb pointing up and an unamused look on his face. All the people in the room seemed rather shocked by it, Jaehyun included. 

"Dong Young-ssi, is there a reason as to why you disagree with the sentence?" The woman asked. 

"I wish to interrogate that man." He pointed at the man he had previously silenced. "Privately." 

"I am sorry to inform you that he has already been interrogated and has now confessed to his crimes." She raised a brow. "I cannot delay his sentence because of your wishes." 

"What is the point if he is dead?" Doyoung was annoyed. "I need him alive."

"If the members agree to have you interrogate him, I will grant you a day." 

"Am I allowed to interrogate him?" He looked around. 

"Are you willing to share the information you uncover?" Minseok questioned. 

"You all trust my family to protect you all." He stood up. "We do what he must do, and no questions are ever asked. Is there a reason why you want to question my motives now?" 

"We just find it strange, Doyoung-ssi." Minseok talked once again. "Without notice, you want to question that man even though he was already interrogated? Is there something you secretly want to uncover?" 

"I wasn't the one who questioned him." Doyoung grinned as he turned to face Minseok. "And we all know there is a difference." 

"Do the families agree?" The woman asked as she interrupted the small argument between the two men. 

All around the room, people nodded. 

"I will grant you a day, Dong Young-ssi." The woman gestured at the two men who had brought the criminals in. The man was dragged back out of the door and disappeared into the darkness behind the door. The other two men remained silent in the middle of the room, not daring to look around. 

"As to the remaining offenders." She pointed at the two men. "What is the jury's decision?" 

This time all thumbs were pointing down. The woman looked around once and then twice, making sure she did not miss anyone. The woman then grinned as she looked down at her hands, producing two knives when she lifted them again. The golden daggers were extremely beautiful even from a distance. Jaehyun stared at them as the metal shone with the yellow light of the candles. She stepped down from the pulpit and calmly walked up to the two men, who were still shaking. The woman snapped her fingers, making the golden string disappear, and then handed each of them a dagger. The two men stared at it with disbelief as she walked back to the pulpit. 

_"Accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga."_ She calmly said what Jaehyun understood to be latin. 

All members nodded once again. 

_"Hoc pugione tuo uti ad finem vitae."_ She said staring at the men with dark eyes. 

Jaehyun did not have to think much to know what she had just said, once the men quickly took the dagger in their hands and slit their throats. The blood poured out instantly and the floor was quickly covered in red. Both men fell to the ground making gurgling sounds as they drowned in their blood. From time to time one or the other would spit alarming amounts of blood. It didn't take long before there was silence again and the bodies stopped convulsing. They were finally dead. A few people had disgusted looks on their faces, while others were smiling and even leaned forward to better see the two dying men. It was bizarre. Jaehyun grimaced as he heard laughter inside his head once again. He was disgusted at himself. 

Doyoung scoffed as he looked down at the dead bodies lying in front of them and then turned to look at Jaehyun. 

"There are no pending trials to be conducted." The woman said with a smile. "Does the family feel justice was served?" 

The two men nodded once again. 

"Good." The smile grew wider. "All members are dismissed."

People began to walk down off their grandstands and leave through the same door Jaehyun, and Doyoung had entered, but the man beside him continued seated. Jaehyun stared at him for a few seconds. 

"I guess you will be visiting sooner than I thought." Minseok interrupted Jaehyun's thoughts. 

"Minseok-ssi." Doyoung bowed. 

Minseok bowed back and then headed for the exit. 

"Jaehyun." Doyoung turned to face him. "I need a favor from you." 

"Dong Young-ssi." The woman from before interrupted them and Jaehyun turned to look at her. "Please, follow me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (T/N: The Latin sentence used here can be found in Section 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC. The official translation was provided by H. Rackham in 1914.)


	15. XV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood and subtle violence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I'm sorry for being MIA for the past month and a half. I took some time off to focus on a few things, but I'm back and so is ETHOS. I had a few chapters I had written but did not suit the path I wanted for the story so I rewrote chapters 15, 16, and 17 of the story so that it could flow more easily and also intensely. I hope you all enjoy some intensity for the next few chapters. Things are going to get messy and a bit filled with blood and gore. That was actually saved for a later part, but I just felt it was more than time for it to be shown. So if you're not into those things, don't worry. I will put a TW on the top of every single chapter with blood, gore, and other sensitive subjects. Hope you all like the new chapters <3

The two men followed the woman down the long and poorly illuminated hall until they reached a set of stairs that headed downstairs. Doyoung went down first while raving a random conversation with the woman they had been following. Jaehyun took one last look down the hall and then headed downstairs as well, having a sense of deja-vu the moment he arrived at the bottom of the stairs. He looked around for a second and then shrugged, sending the feeling away. The stoned basement was cold and depressing. Jaehyun looked around a few times, inspecting the room and making sure he buried the deja-vu feeling entirely. Doyoung was still talking to the woman in charge, frowning from time to time. 

"As I said before." She said when they stopped in front of a stone door closed with a metal padlock. "You have twenty-four hours to interrogate him."

Doyoung nodded. 

"When your time is up, he will face trial once more and his sentence will be set." 

"You might as well get rid of him after I'm done." Doyoung grinned. "You know what most of them would do if they got their hands on him." 

"Focus on your task, Doyoung-ssi." She opened the padlock. "I personally interrogated him and found nothing." 

Doyoung hummed. 

The padlock was removed and the door was opened. Doyoung bowed to the woman and Jaehyun followed suit. She bowed her head and then left, heading upstairs again. Jaehyun followed her with his eyes and as soon as she disappeared from his line of sight, turned to face Doyoung. However, the other man had already entered the other room. Jaehyun quickly entered it as well, stopping as soon as he entered. He expected many things, but not what was right in front of him. The man was kneeling on the ground, head hanging low. His arms were pulled up and secured with shackles that came from the ceiling. It all seemed like something you would see in an ancient movie, but that was reality. Jaehyun closed the door behind him, earning a look from Doyoung. 

"Wake up." He said calmly. 

The command was more than enough to make the man in front of them slowly lift his head. His eyes were only half open and he looked lost. Whatever had happened to him after he left that court, seemed to have been bad. He slowly opened his eyes and then focused on Jaehyun and Doyoung. The man looked up to his wrists and shook the chains, making the sound of metal echo in the room. 

"Jaehyun." Doyoung turned to face him. "Do you remember when I said I had a favor to ask from you?" 

Jaehyun nodded a bit reluctantly. 

"Do you see the drawing on the ground?" 

Jaehyun looked down and realized the man was kneeling in the center of a circle drawn on the ground. There were other drawings inside of it, but it didn't make sense to him. A sudden growl could be heard at the back of his head, making his hairs stand up. He nodded once again. Doyoung walked closer to him and with a swift and unexpected move, grabbed Jaehyun's bandaged hand and pulled the bandages, exposing the wound. Jaehyun hissed at the pain and tried to back away, but Doyoung's grasp was extremely strong. His grip grew even stronger, making Jaehyun's hand burn. The wound that had been clean, was now pouring blood once again. 

_ One drop.  _

_ Two drops. _

_ Three drops. _

Doyoung finally let go of his hand the moment the third drop hit the ground. Jaehyun used his other hand to cover the wound and looked at Doyoung through gritted teeth. The other man had a grin on his face as he stared at the small drops of blood within the circle. Jaehyun was ready to say something when the chained man grunted. He turned his attention to the center of the circle, his eyes widening. The drops of blood were gone. The man tilted his head back completely and grunt again. It took him two seconds to tilt his head forward again and let it drop low like before. 

"What did you do?" Jaehyun's voice trembled. 

"Do you really want to know?" Doyoung did not even look at him. 

"Doyoung!" Jaehyun was loud. 

"One,  _ don't _ use that tone with me." Doyoung's tone was dark. "Two, I don't have the time to explain things to you right now." 

Jaehyun swallowed. 

"Shake your head," Doyoung commanded. 

There was nothing. The man's head continued to hang low. It was strange for someone to disobey Doyoung. Especially when this side of Jaehyun also obeyed him. There was only one person Doyoung could not control. At least the only one he had ever seen apart from Taeyong. Himself. His other side was not affected by Doyoung's power. Jaehyun looked at the man with disbelief. Somehow his blood was the key to something. 

"You try." 

Jaehyun took a moment to steady himself. His breathing was hitched and his heart was pounding inside his chest. 

"Shake your head," Jaehyun said in a low voice. 

The man instantly lifted his head and began to shake it violently. Jaehyun took two steps back, hitting the wall. He looked over to Doyoung who had a vile grin on his lips. It was terrifying, to say the least. Meanwhile, the man continued to frantically shake his head nonstop. The floor was now covered in a small coat of spit as he drooled while shaking his head. 

"Stop!" Jaehyun ordered and the man obeyed. 

Silenced ensued. Jaehyun was too shocked to say a word. 

"He will do whatever you tell him to." Doyoung crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

"What do you want me to do?" Jaehyun was still slightly breathless. 

"You can do whatever you want." 

Jaehyun swallowed hard and then focused on the man kneeling amidst his drool. He was breathless and would grunt every time he inhaled. He was in pain for some reason, but Jaehyun had no idea why. 

"Wha-Why did you kill them?" He stuttered. 

The man grunted and then focused on Jaehyun, staring at him with hollow eyes. 

"Mission." He said hoarsely. "My mission." 

Jaehyun turned to look at Doyoung, who only gestured with his head for him to continue. 

"Who gave you that mission?" 

"My..." The man coughed. "My master." 

"Who is your master?" Jaehyun leaned forward without realizing.

"Master. Master. Master." The man kept repeating while shaking his head. "My master.  _ Mine. _ " 

"Where is he?" Jaehyun leaned closer. 

The man suddenly stopped and looked at Jaehyun. His eyes were hollow, but Jaehyun could feel the man look into his soul. He then leaned closer.

"Here." He whispered while attempting to curve his lips into a smile. 

Jaehyun fell backward, widening his eyes and looking around in disbelief. When he looked at Doyoung, the smile had disappeared and he was looking at Jaehyun with an intense gaze. Jaehyun looked around once more, ignoring the burning sensation on the back of his neck. It was almost as something had been burned into the skin of the nape of his neck. Jaehyun lifted his hand and placed it on his nape, but he felt something odd as he did so. Almost like a cold breath. He turned around, but there was nothing behind him. No one. Jaehyun looked at Doyoung once more, who was still staring at him. 

That man claimed his master, the one who had ordered him to kill those two boys was inside that room. The same room where only Jaehyun and Doyoung were. Something was off and Jaehyun was on the verge of running away to never come back, but he knew he couldn't. He now needed to find out more about this so-called master and why did that man kill those two innocent boys. 

"Why those boys?"

"Blood." The man inhaled. 

"Why did you need blood?" 

"Need to be strong." He closed his eyes. "Master said." 

"You drank their blood?" 

"Yes." He licked his lips.

Doyoung cursed under his breath. 

Jaehyun took a minute to think. He needed to ask the right questions to find exactly what they needed. Doyoung wasn't helpful at all and his judgmental look was extremely annoying. Jaehyun looked around for another second and then decided what his next move would be. It would probably end in some sort of bizarre situation, but he had to try. His insides were torn. One side was anxious and unsure, while the other was enjoying the idea far too much. It was quite obvious who was who. Jaehyun inhaled and then focused on the kneeling man. 

"Look at me." His tone was stern. 

The man simply lifted his head and focused on Jaehyun with some difficulty. 

"I am your master." 

The man tilted his head and then squinted his eyes. 

"Master." He mumbled. 

"Will you do anything for me?" 

"Anything" The man smiled. 

Jaehyun felt the light breeze on the back of his neck again but shrugged. He took a look at Doyoung who had arched his brow. Jaehyun looked at the man and then back at Doyoung. He sighed and then finally stood up again. 

"We have to take him out of here." 

"What?" Doyoung was shocked. 

"The answers we want aren't here." Jaehyun's tone was urgent. "He can't show us anything trapped in this place." 

"There's only so much your blood can do." Doyoung pointed to the ground. "Releasing him is not one of them."

Jaehyun looked down at the drawing and then back at Doyoung, he took a deep breath and then headed inside the circle before the other man could even think of stopping him. There was a bizarre burning sensation all over his body. His arms and legs felt as if they were on fire, making him scream in pain. Jaehyun fell to his knees, closing his eyes and covering his ears. Everything went dark, apart from the weak light ahead. Someone was kneeling as well and his arms were pulled up just like the man within the circle was. Jaehyun took a deep breath while looking around the familiar scenario. 

"You." He said in a low tone. 

"You." The man answered, without lifting his head. 

Jaehyun stood up and walked up to the man. There was no longer a circle around him and no chains holding him in place. Still, he was stuck in the same position as before. Jaehyun kneeled before the man and put his fingers on his chin, tilting his head up. His face was contorted in a grimace and his eyes were closed, but Jaehyun could see a stream of blood running down from his eyes. Almost as if he was crying blood. The sight chilled him to the bones and brought back memories of the reflection he had seen in the mirror. His hollow and bleeding eyes. Jaehyun stilled for a second, but he was determined. 

"You will obey me." 

"Master." The man whispered. " _ My _ master." 

Jaehyun said nothing. 

"Will you save me, Master?" 

"Yes." He pinched harder on the man's chin. "Now, follow me." 

The man smiled lightly. 

The pain was back when Jaehyun reopened his eyes. He was still inside the circle and his body burned. It was almost maddening. He rolled on the ground and his body contorted a few times, making him shriek in pain. He couldn't hear or see straight, but he knew he had to make that man leave. He tried to focus as hard as he could. There was a dark blur by his side he assumed was the man he had to free. Jaehyun grunted and began to slowly stand up, wobbling around. Doyoung had called his name a few times, but he ignored it. He looked down at his hand and used his thumb to reopen the gash, blood pouring out of it again. Jaehyun smeared everything with it. The man, his chains and when he fell to the ground again, poured it on the drawing beside him. The pain was almost making him go insane. 

Doyoung called him a few more times but was solemnly ignored once again. Jaehyun pulled the man closer to him and somehow managed to push him out of the circle. Jaehyun had no idea how the man was freed, if he had done something or if someone had done it for him. He just went mechanically through the steps since his mind was not working properly. His vision was becoming dark again, but he did his best to stand up and walk out of the circle. He walked with difficulty, but the moment he stepped closer to the edge of the circle, a voice ringed in his ears and stopped him in his tracks. The longer he stayed inside, the worst the burning sensation got, but he was curious. What did it say?

Jaehyun heard it again and again, not managing to understand a word from it. He stepped back and when he looked ahead, Doyoung was silently screaming. Jaehyun could not hear a single word he was saying. He smiled and turned around. 

_ "Son." _ The dark veiled figure in front of him whispered. 

He tilted his head and looked intensely at it, trying to focus. Jaehyun took a step forward, lifting his hand to try to pull the veil. But something stopped him. There was a strong tug on his back and then he fell backward onto the cold and hard stone floor. His legs burned intensely while his head slowly went back to normal. Jaehyun shook his head and looked down, rolling to the side and exiting the circle completely. He sat back up and stared at the place where he had seen the cloaked figure, but his head turned sideways when a hard slap crossed his face. Doyoung was crouching in front of him, eyes dark. 

"Are you insane?" He growled. "You could have died, you idiot!" 

Jaehyun put his hand on his cheek and stared back at the other man. He couldn't say a word like he had forgotten how to speak. His lips twitched and he swallowed back the lump that had formed on his throat. Jaehyun wanted to cry. 

"You could have died, Jaehyun!" Doyoung continued, this time shaking him by his shoulders. "Died! Gone! If you died..." 

Doyoung stopped. 

"You idiot." He sighed. "Stupid kid." 

Jaehyun stared at him with shock. 

Doyoung stood up and walked to the unconscious man on the ground. Jaehyun was still frozen in place, only turning his head to look at the other two men. Doyoung lowered himself and whispered something into the other man's ear. He then stood up and looked back at Jaehyun, his eyes dark.

"Get him up." He ordered. 

The hallway was empty as they walked further into the basement. Doyoung made small noises with his tongue from time to time, clearly annoyed. They walked silently as Jaehyun kept the bloody man up and Doyoung looked around, trying to avoid getting caught by anyone. He had no idea how they were going to leave that building, but they were already on their way. Doyoung led them through the maze of corridors and doors, Jaehyun following behind, supporting a half-conscious and heavy man. Jaehyun turned one corner after Doyoung but was suddenly pushed back into the other corridor, slamming against the wall and almost losing balance. The other man let out a small grunt. 

"Dong Young-ssi." A woman's voice could be heard. 

"Ji Ah-ssi." 

"I thought you were still in interrogation." She sounded confused. "Have you finished already?" 

"No," Doyoung said in a flat tone. "I just need to make a phone call." 

"Taeyong-ssi?"

"Yes." 

"Why didn't he come this time?" 

"He was busy." Doyoung sounded annoyed. "So I brought the new kid." 

"He looks rather familiar." She hummed. "But then again, I have been seeing the same faces for a while now." 

"You are old." 

"Always straight to the point." She laughed. "I will leave you to it then." 

Doyoung hummed. 

"Doyoung-ssi." The voice was now further than before. "You should help the kid." 

There was a faint laugh and then Doyoung was back on the corridor. His face was not the best, but he didn't seem too bothered by the remark. Jaehyun pulled the half-awake man and continued to cross the corridors, trying to reach the exit. Before they managed to open the big metal door, Doyoung had used his powers on a couple of people to make them leave without alerting anyone. The black heavy door opened with a squeak, but no one seemed to hear it. Doyoung led them up a set of stairs and back into the street which was dark and gloomy. The cold wind blew on his neck, but Jaehyun once again ignored it. He helped the man to their car and laid him down on the back seat. He mumbled something, but Jaehyun dismissed it as just some rambling. 

Doyoung went around and entered the car, calling for Jaehyun to enter as well. He got in and before he could even put on his seatbelt, the car was already speeding through the streets. The silence was only broken a couple of times with the man's mumbling, but apart from that, there was nothing else. Jaehyun did not dare to say a word and Doyoung was focused on his driving. The streets began to slowly become smaller until they finally reached an empty and small residential street, and Doyoung cut off the engine. The silence became deafening. He turned around and stared at the other man, sighing as he stared at him with an intense gaze. 

"Wake up." He said softly. 

The man jerked awake, staring at his surroundings. He looked confused, but at the same time focused on Jaehyun. He took a deep breath and then put his hand over his face, exhaling loudly. Jaehyun could only stare. There was a faint whisper inside his head and he knew who it was. He considered the possibility for a second, knowing that  _ he _ would be able to get the information they needed. However, Jaehyun dismissed the idea as soon as he thought about it. He was in charge and this side was more than capable of finding out what they needed to know. 

"What do you want?" The bloody man said, still hiding his face. 

"Listen." Doyoung sighed. "You are going to die either way, so might as well be cooperative." 

Jaehyun looked over at Doyoung, trying to convey something but was solemnly ignored.

"You will tell me what I need to know." He continued. "And you might die a better death than slicing your throat open." 

The man finally took his hands off his face and looked up at him with a grin. 

"You are such an idiot." He rubbed his eyes. "If you had any idea what you are dealing with, you would have left me there."

Jaehyun swallowed, but he could only focus on the manic laugh beside him. Doyoung was almost crying from laughter. 

"I hate people like you." He suddenly stopped laughing. "People so desperate for an inch of what we have, that would do the most heinous things to get it." 

Doyoung clicked his tongue and leaned closer, exhaling a dark miasma. 

"I've been around for a  _ long _ time, you pathetic thing. Do you think you know more than I do?" 

The man was silent, but one could see the annoyance in his pale and bloody face.

"Now that you understood your position in  _ my _ world, you better start talking." 

"I have nothing to tell you." He sneered. "I am faithful to my master." 

Jaehyun looked over to Doyoung again. This time his silent remark was not ignored. 

"Who is your master?" Jaehyun's voice was hoarse. 

For a second there was confusion on the man's face. His eyes went back and forth between Doyoung and Jaehyun. 

"Master..." He whispered while looking at his hands.

"Let's go," Doyoung said while exiting the car. 

He opened the back door and pulled the man out by his arm. Jaehyun followed behind as he dragged the man into a residential building across the street. Doyoung quickly typed the password and the glass door opened. The trio went inside the elevator and they went up to the second floor. Doyoung led them down the poorly illuminated corridor and up to one of the apartment doors. He rang the bell and waited. It took a few seconds for a tall and shirtless man to open the door. He rubbed his eyes a few times and then looked at the three men standing in front of him. The lack of a shirt and the sweatpants indicated that he was sleeping, that and the number of times he rubbed his eyes.

"Doyoung?" He asked in a groggy voice. 

"Move."

He pushed the tall man aside and entered the apartment, still dragging the human behind him. Doyoung pushed the man down and made him kneel in the middle of the living room. Jaehyun looked around. It was an ordinary house with a sofa, TV and framed pictures. Nothing seemed to say this man was unordinary, but Jaehyun could feel a thick fog around the man. Something that made him not want to come close to him, yet they were now standing side by side as they stared down at the man kneeling in the middle of the room. 

"I need your help." Doyoung sighed. 

"For?" The tall man tilted his head. 

"Them." 

The man tilted his head. 

"I am  _ really _ not in the mood,  _ hyung _ ." 

Jaehyun was sitting cross-legged on the ground while staring at the other man. Doyoung and Gong Myung were staring at both of them. Gongmyung had been kind enough to introduce himself and explain what was about to happen. There were people in his world who could make another person see into someone's memories. A door would be open and Jaehyun would step into the man's memories. be able to see the man's memories. The problem was that he could lose himself inside and never come back. It was similar to going into a coma. Your brain would function and you would be alive, but would never wake up. There were too many risks involved and Jaehyun wasn't sure he wanted to do that, but there was no other option. They needed to know. 

Gongmyung closed his eyes and said something Jaehyun did not listen. He slowly faded and disappeared in front of him, making Jaehyun anxious. Doyoung was still there, staring at him with focused eyes. When Jaehyun turned to face the other man, everything changed. He was staring at the river. The sun was shining, children were playing around. Jaehyun could feel the warmth against his skin. He closed his eyes and bathed in the sunlight. There was a heavy sigh and he stood up again, his phone buzzing in his pocket. He picked up and ignored the call with a loud hiss. He then walked back to his car and drove away, his phone buzzing from time to time. After staring at the screen again, he finally decided to pick up. 

"Finally!" Someone was annoyed. 

"I am working." He dismissed the caller. "What do you want?" 

"Boss said there is a meeting we have to attend tonight." The person cleared his throat. "A big one." 

He hissed once again and then ended the call. 

Jaehyun was now in the middle of a meeting. People sitting around a black round table, talking amongst each other. Jaehyun was sitting alone, annoyance washing over him. He was impatient, but he was suddenly confronted with a deadly silence inside the room. Every single person in the room was focused on the man sitting at the head of the table. He was an old man. White hair and wrinkles under his eyes. He looked tired. 

"There is an opportunity for us." He coughed into a red cloth. "One that has never been available until now." 

Low whispers took over the room.

"Up until now, we have worked intensely eradicating those disgusting creatures." He scoffed. "We have even tainted our sacred bodies to fight their kind." 

The voices grew louder as the other man spoke, but Jaehyun was not excited. He was restless and there was a hint of guilt inside of him. Why was that man feeling guilty? There was a faint laugh coming from a dark corner of the room. Everyone began to look around, pulling out knives and guns. It was evil and everyone in the room could feel it. 

"Look at you all." The laugh continued. "Looking so fierce." 

The faint footsteps made his heart rate rise to a worrying pace. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and then cleared his throat. This was his master. Jaehyun knew it. Slowly the figure came into the light and Jaehyun instantly felt breathless. The combed hair, exposing his forehead. The sly smile on his lips. The faint blue glow on his eyes. That was his face. Jaehyun was in that room staring at himself. He wanted to scream, but he was just overlooking a memory from someone else. There was nothing he could do. 

"I am here to help." He walked up to the old man. "No need to be nervous." 

"He's one of them!" A man exclaimed. 

"Let's kill him!" A woman suggested.

"Yes." A few others agreed. 

"I would love to see you try." Jaehyun laughed. 

The room instantly became cold and the lights grew dim. There was an eerie aura to the room and then he began to hear. Human screams seemed to be coming from inside the walls, scratching and pleading to be freed. All the men and women in the room began to frantically look around, moving closer together like a herd. Jaehyun's eyes were brighter than he had ever seen. The man could only stare. He was focused on his master and Jaehyun knew he had not lied before. His master was in that room with them and he was none other than Jaehyun himself. The room suddenly grew silent again and the lights were back. The people in the room were shocked and rather frightened. Jaehyun smiled at the man. 

"No need to fight." He licked his lips. "As I said, I'm here to help." 

"He has offered his help for us to finally end their kind." The old man said. 

"He is one of them!" A woman argued. "Why would he help us end his kind? It doesn't make sense!" 

"He has other plans." Another man stepped in. "He will weaken his kind just so he can take over the ones that are left and put us at risk. Are you insane?" 

The old man sighed. 

"Look, this is not some Game of Thrones episode." Jaehyun arched his brow. "There isn't a throne and I don't want to rule over people like that. If I want people dead, I will make sure they die."

The room grew silent. 

"I could kill all of you right now." He snapped his fingers. "But I won't." 

"He has given us information on all the major families." The old man coughed. "We will just have to make simple assignments that will cause major damage in the future." 

"You know Lee Taeyong won't let things happen without interfering." Jaehyun suddenly spoke. "He protects the other families." 

"You don't have to worry about him." Jaehyun smiled. "He is  _ mine _ ." 

There was silence once again. 

"All you have to do is follow the plan." 

The room dissolved once more and now Jaehyun was standing back in the river. It was cold and there were specs of snow somewhere in the distance. It was already winter. Jaehyun only felt the cold cutting his face whenever the wind blew. He shivered, but the man didn't. He lit up a cigarette, the bitter taste settling in his mouth. He puffed on the cigarette and exhaled a dense cloud of smoke and from within the cloud, he appeared. There was no sly smile this time. Jaehyun was serious and his eyes were dark. He was not happy and the man knew it. There was a chill that ran down his back and made the hairs of his body stand up. 

"Do you want me to replace you?" 

"No, master." The man lowered his gaze. "I made a mistake."

"I trust very few people in this world." Jaehyun walked around the man. "You are one of them." 

The man said nothing.

"I don't like being betrayed." Jaehyun had stopped behind the man, making him shiver for the first time. "Do you want to betray me?"

"No, master." 

"Good." Jaehyun walked back in front of him. "What happened?" 

"He saw us." The man finally lifted his gaze. "He arrived when we were taking the kids away." 

"And?" 

"He let them." The man choked. "He just watched." 

"Are the kids  _ dead _ ?" Jaehyun arched a brow. 

"No." 

"Good." He grinned. "Make sure to drain them." 

Jaehyun turned to leave and the man thought about being silent for a second, but he couldn't hold it in. He took a step forward, making the ground squeak. Jaehyun stopped but did not turn around. The man sighed. 

"Master." 

He remained silent. 

"You told me to have him followed." He choked on his words. "And I did." 

"And?" Jaehyun looked over his shoulder. 

"He had been frequently going to a small town down south." 

Jaehyun finally turned. 

"And what did he do there?" Jaehyun was smiling. 

"Nothing." 

Jaehyun tilted his head again.

"Don't lie to me." 

"He just..." The man choked. "Kept following a kid." 

"He found him." Jaehyun's eyes widened and his smile grew wider. "That will be all for now." 

Jaehyun walked away and the man took a deep breath. The cold air bit into his skin as he saw the other man disappear into the darkness. It was a familiar feeling, so Jaehyun knew this was how they always met. He was putting the pieces together in his mind but was afraid to admit to himself. He knew exactly who were the people in the story that man had just told. The "kid" and "he". It was impossible not to know. Their names hovering on top of his head. Taeyong was the man and Jaehyun the kid, and apparently, he had been following Jaehyun long before they met. His mind went quiet. 

The scene dissolved once again and it was now much warmer. The man was sitting inside his car smoking a cigarette with his eyes becoming heavy. It was already night time and it was late, very late. He had been sitting for a long time and his pack of smokes was almost empty. The alley smelled like urine and garbage, and it was annoying. His phone buzzed and he picked up to see who it was. Unknown caller. He picked up and listened quietly. 

"It's done." The voice said. 

The man hummed. 

"I will lay low for now." The man coughed. "Stay put." 

Jaehyun felt as if the voice was familiar, but since these were not his memories, he didn't feel too sure about who it was. The man finished the call and continued to stare out the window, sighing as he lit another cigarette and watched a drunk man fall to the ground while holding a bottle of liquor. 

The pack of smokes ended a while later, just as someone exited a door in the middle of the alley. He threw his cigarette out of the window and leaned forward to see who it was. The person looked to both sides before stopping and turning around. A dark silhouette appeared out of a dark corner and began talking to the other person. Both of them talked for a while and then entered a black car that had driven past him. The driver nodded at him and the man nodded back. He sighed as the car drove away after those two people entered and lit his last cigarette. 

"Fucking ghost." He snarled. 

Everything went dark again and Jaehyun was now back to the poorly illuminated darkness he was far too familiar with. His other self seating under the spotlight with a grin on his lips. Jaehyun felt a sharp pain in his hands but decided to ignore it. He tilted his head and stared back at Jaehyun. He suddenly became dizzy and fumbled to the ground, his other side smiling. There was a sharp pain on the back of his head and his neck felt sore. His hands now hurt even more. He was confused.

"You know that when you are away," He laughed. "I take over." 

Jaehyun felt a strong pull coming from behind his back and when he opened his eyes, Doyoung was standing on top of him, pinning him in place. His face was red and there was a large gash on his cheek. On the other side, Gongmyung was on top of the other man who was lying in a pool of what appeared to be blood. Doyoung was mad, his eyes dark and the air felt thick. The blood on his cheek dripped on Jaehyun's face and slowly made his way onto the wooden floor. He held back a grin. The room was silent apart from the heavy breathing from Doyoung and Jaehyun. Gongmyung began standing up and looked over at Doyoung with a blank expression, making him instantly let go of Jaehyun. 

"Why?" He said in a low voice. 

Jaehyun said nothing. 

Doyoung had found a way to tie both of Jaehyun's hands and was now pushing him down the hallway. Yuta had been following behind since they arrived, probably because Doyoung had called him in the car a while back. Yuta opened the door to Jaehyun's room but did not enter it. Doyoung sat on one of the chairs and Jaehyun made his way to the edge of his bed. They stared at each other for a long time without uttering a single word. 

"You still haven't answered me." Doyoung calmly said. 

"Do you  _ truly _ want an answer?" Jaehyun sighed. 

Doyoung hissed. 

There was a faint knock on the door and when it opened, Jaehyun used all his strength to stay quiet. Taeyong had just entered the room and Doyoung's calm demeanor changed instantly. He stood up abruptly and stared at the other man. Jaehyun knew something was off, but remained quiet. 

"We will talk later, Doyoung." He said with a faint smile. "Leave."

Doyoung looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he merely bowed and exited the room, glaring intensely at Jaehyun. The door slammed shut and Taeyong walked closer to Jaehyun, his eyes focused on the man. Jaehyun swallowed. 

"Care to tell me what happened?" 

Jaehyun sighed. 

"You are not helping yourself with this attitude." He offered a kind smile. 

Jaehyun knew he couldn't trust Taeyong, but even though the man did not need his consent to search his mind, Jaehyun felt it was appropriate to stay silent. Taeyong walked even closer to Jaehyun, leaning awfully close as he began to untie his wrists. Jaehyun swallowed once again and then turned his head slightly to the side, seeing Taeyong completely focused on the task at hand. 

"How long will you keep this up?" Jaehyun suddenly asked.

Taeyong stopped and then straightened himself in front of Jaehyun. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You are so full of yourself." Jaehyun sneered. "How can you even keep up with that many lies?" 

Taeyong laughed and then sat beside Jaehyun on the bed. 

"Let's just say it takes a lot of my time." 

Jaehyun hissed at the other man. 

"Things changed." Taeyong used his finger to fix a loose strand of Jaehyun's hair. "People changed." 

"Don't." Jaehyun got away from the other man's touch. "I killed someone today" 

"You did." Taeyong suddenly grabbed Jaehyun's hand, a certain look on his face. "And you will certainly do it again." 

Jaehyun focused his gaze on Taeyongs lips, which had curled up into a smile. 

"I think I might end killing you." Jaehyun suddenly admitted. 

"I know you will eventually try it." Taeyong smiled. 

"Why are you smiling?" 

"Because this side of yours is very..." Taeyong inhaled. "Intense." 

Jaehyun never understood why his other side was so interested in Taeyong, but the man did have something to him, something else. It was not bad, but it felt strange. The burning sensation in his skin made everything even more intense, but for some reason, he could not tell which side was responsible for it. The fact was that he had gotten dangerously close to the other man, yearning for one thing and one thing only. Intensity. The kind that only Taeyong could make him feel. 


	16. XIV

Taeyong focused on Jaehyun and he felt it instantly. The penetrating gaze that went deep into his mind. Taeyong was inside and he knew that man could see every single inch of his memories and thoughts, still, he did not raise a barrier. He did not want to. Jaehyun knew things had changed and that from that moment on, he would never be able to go back. There was a muffled plea on the back of his mind. One he knew meant he needed to stay, that he wanted to stay. Both his sides now wanted to stay, but their reasons could not be any more different. One side was foolishly attached and the other wanted to see who would die first, him or Taeyong. It was a sadistic kind of attachment, but it still did not push him away.

Jaehyun looked back into the other man's eye and found himself into absolute darkness, but not the one he was used to. There was an ocean ahead of him, and he could feel a gentle breeze on his face. Jaehyun sighed. This was something he was unused to. Taeyong was not the kind to let his guard down, especially at a moment like this. The waves washed away at his feet, making him shiver slightly. It was peaceful, but something felt off. Beside him, a small child made his way to the ocean shattering the silence with its small giggles. Jaehyun's lips curled into a smile. 

"Get back here!" A woman demanded. 

The child burst into laughter, threatening to enter the water. He had his back to the blue ocean, not realizing the waves were nearing his feet. Jaehyun turned to face the woman calling, but the sunlight made it impossible to see her face. He could merely see a white long gown. It felt ancient. Jaehyun looked back at the child who was still giggling, but it didn't last long. His small hands turned into small but menacing little fists that trembled. His features had hardened and looked cross, almost as if he was ready to attack. Jaehyun turned once again and there was now a man beside the woman. He could overhear a faint conversation and both adults began to walk away. The child was now abandoned by his side. 

Jaehyun could see the small fists were trembling even harder as the child walked backward into the sea, one step at a time. His pants got wetter as he made his way into the cold water. Jaehyun extended a hand as if offering help, but the child ignored him. Walking further away, but he suddenly stopped. Jaehyun walked a step further, offering his hand once again. The child stopped to gaze at him with murderous eyes and a grim expression. He looked extremely menacing, even for a small child that was likely not a day older than 8 years old. He glared at Jaehyun for a second and then opened his mouth. 

"You don't get to save me." The youthful voice echoed in his head. 

The resounding thud on the floor took Jaehyun out of wherever he was. He was now lying on the ground as Taeyong looked down at him with an ashen expression. There was no saying what he had seen, but one thing was certain. That child was Taeyong. That much he knew. What bothered Jaehyun was the fact that he had felt that intense gaze as if that child had looked directly at him. If that was merely a memory, how could that boy look and talk to him? It was too far fetched to think he was indeed there. That Taeyong had seen and talked to him. Jaehyun shook his head a couple of times before focusing back on Taeyong.

"Are you okay?" He asked with a coy smile. 

Jaehyun cleared his throat and stood up again, ignoring the strong will to punch Taeyong who maintained that bizarre smile on his face. This was it in the end, the intensity that he dearly craved but coming from someone whom Jaehyun despised. Taeyong was a double-edged sword Jaehyun loved playing with, overlooking the fact both sides were equally sharp. He looked down at the other man sitting on the edge of his bed and reluctantly sat back beside him. Taeyong smiled more brightly this time. 

"You will be consumed by darkness if you hide in such a place for long, but even if you escape, it leaves a scar." 

Jaehyun remained silent. 

"The scar is already there." Taeyong moistened his lips. "And there's nothing I can do about it." 

"I never trusted you." Jaehyun gave up and laid on the bed, his head buzzing as he stared at the ceiling. "Even though he wanted me to."

"I won't force you to it." Taeyong sighed. "And that may be the reason why one of us will end up dead or even both of us." 

"No." Jaehyun sighed loudly. 

Taeyong twisted his head around and then laughed with all his being, his body convulsing slightly as he stared at Jaehyun. 

"No?" He gasped for air while still laughing. "Are you saying I'm the one who is going to die?" 

Jaehyun suddenly sat on the bed and stared at Taeyong, their faces relatively close yet again. 

"What?" He laughed. "You think threatening me is a good idea?" 

"This is not a threat." Jaehyun grinned. "And I'm not the one who is going to kill you." 

Taeyong tilted his head. 

"I think we can both stay alive." Jaehyun licked his lips. 

"Is that so?" 

"It's not like there are many of us around, is there?" Jaehyun grinned. 

Taeyong smiled. 

Jaehyun leaned closer. Taeyong had a sly smile on his lips because he knew there was no longer a secret. In the end, they were both the same thing. Something extremely dark and unique in some way. The reason as to why they were so similar, and why there was a palpable attraction between the two. That was the reason why the families existed, to keep them close to each other. Their kind was stronger when they were together and in their case, there was more to it. They were compelled to be together no matter what because there were not many around to be close to. It was a survival instinct and the reason Taeyong found Jaehyun and why his other side felt so compelled toward the other man. This side was more animalistic and so their relationship was not the best, because they were competing for who was the strongest one. But now, those things did not matter as much. It was now a matter of survival. 

"You know." Taeyong tapped his lips with his index as if he was thinking about something. "How long?" 

"Does that even matter?" Jaehyun rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't we focus on the matter at hand?" 

"And what is that?" 

"Killing everyone before they kill us," Jaehyun smirked. 

"No." Taeyong used his fingers to trace Jaehyun's jaw. "There's one thing before that." 

Jaehyun knew he had disgust all over his face, but Tayong did not seem the least affected by it. His smile grew broader and darker as if he was enjoying himself far too much. Jaehyun remained still. The touch was gentle but it nonetheless made his skin crawl, but not entirely out of disgust. The lights dimmed down and there was an excessive amount of electricity in the air. The silence embraced them as there was no ragged breathing nor any sound whatsoever. It was as if there was not a sole living person inside the room. His lips were warm as they traced down his jaw and down to his neck. Jaehyun held back a moan as the other man bit into the soft skin. He couldn't lie and say this didn't make him feel good, because it felt exactly as expected. 

Taeyong's lips made their way up to Jaehyun's ear, making him tremble. The raspy breathing and the small tender bites were far too good. This time he was unable to silence his moan, startling himself with how loud he had been. There was a faint giggle in his ear as Taeyong put his hands under Jaehyun's shirt grabbing onto his waist and pulling him dangerously closer. Jaehyun's now bare-chested figure could only watch as his shirt was thrown on the floor and his back hit the mattress, Taeyong on top of him. The other man calmly lifted his shirt and set it aside, everything performed with extreme class. It was ridiculous how he could be well mannered even when they were like that. Jaehyun rolled his eyes. 

"Amused?" Taeyong tilted his head.

Jaehyun kept silent even though he had many things he wanted to say to that man, but it was not the time for sarcastic remarks. Especially when Jaehyun could feel just how hard he had become from Taeyong's teasing. Jaehyun grunted, lifting and rolling Taeyong on his back and restraining him down against the bed. Jaehyun stared down at the other man licking his lips with some twisted thoughts in his mind as he took in the sight of the pale and bare-chested man beneath him. For the first time, Taeyong looked fragile. Jaehyun lowered himself and pressed his lips against Taeyong's, prying his mouth open with his tongue. His hand making its way up to his scalp, pulling onto it as strongly as possible. 

Taeyong was older and far more experienced, but Jaehyun decided to take the lead. Jaehyun pulled away for a second as he licked his lips and stared at the gasping man in front of him, unsure of how to continue. He finally pushed Taeyong back once again and made his way down to his pants, licking every inch of skin he could and making the older man moan in pleasure. Jaehyun unbuttoned Taeyong's pants and pushed them down, flinging them on the floor alongside his briefs. The other man was now exposed on his bed, and Jaehyun could feel his hard penis throb against the fabric. He merely stared. 

"Do you want me to guide you?" Taeyong had a grin. 

Jaehyun was silent. 

"Gently suck on it." His tone was soft. "As if you were enjoying a refreshing ice cream on a hot summer day." 

Jaehyun grimaced at the analogy but did as told. He gradually lowered his head and opened his mouth as wide as possible. His tongue swirled around the head, covering it with spit. 

"Go deeper," Taeyong said between moans. "Gently." 

Jaehyun once again obeyed the command and lowered himself, even more, taking in almost the whole length. Jaehyun choked and pulled up once again, coughing slightly. 

" _Gently,_ " Taeyong said once more. 

He slowly went down again, this time stopping before choking. His tongue swirled around the entirety of it, covering everything with a thick coat of spit. Jaehyun knew he was supposed to move, so he slowly went up and down Taeyong's cock, making the other man moan once again. Jaehyun held onto the other man's thigh and increased his pace as he got more and more aroused by the whole thing, but was suddenly forced to stop. Taeyong grabbed a hold of his hair and hauled him up, forcing him to stop sucking and staring at him with eyes filled with fire. Jaehyun was confused. 

"If you keep this up," Taeyong's breathing was erratic."I might just come in your mouth." 

Jaehyun tilted his head, still confused. 

"Why don't you take off your pants before we continue?" 

He obeyed and quickly got rid of both his pants and briefs, throwing them almost on the other side of the room. The scene made Taeyong let out a small laugh. He laid back down and stared at the younger man with intent. 

"What do you want to do now?" Taeyong asked.

"Fuck you." Jaehyun blurted out. 

Taeyong let out yet another laugh and then went back to staring at Jaehyun. 

"And do you know how to do that?" Taeyong arched his brow. 

Jaehyun was silent. He had no idea how any of that worked and knew only the basics, but that was because his other half had curiously searched for it. Truth be told, this was his first time with anyone and coincidentally it was with someone he did not bear any pleasant feelings for. Jaehyun frowned slightly. Interestingly enough, that same other half was now silent. The idea that he was enjoying himself, was not entirely far fetched. Taeyong seemed to have caught up and tilted his head to the side, grinning. It was quite infuriating whenever he put on that sly smile, but Jaehyun was not ruining everything by arguing. 

"Why don't you try using your fingers and your tongue?" He said casually. "Slowly." 

"Fine," Jaehyun said almost a bit too fiercely before positioning himself between Taeyong's thighs. 

The sight was quite awkward, but he had no intention of backing away. Jaehyun slowly opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. He began licking the hole in front of him, sucking on it from time to time. Jaehyun was slightly proud of himself, since Taeyong did not try to keep his voice down, his moans echoing inside the room for anyone to listen. Tongue and fingers. Jaehyun was trying to decide when he should make use of his fingers while the pale man in front of him contorted in pleasure, grabbing onto the sheets. He watched, a smirk forming on his lips as he ignored the pain from his cock being too hard against the mattress. 

Jaehyun adjusted himself once again and raised his hand. Taeyong was not paying attention as his body went up and down while Jaehyun inserted his tongue inside the tight hole. He assumed one finger was acceptable, so slowly pushed it inside the tight hole that was now completely covered in spit. The moment his index entered, Taeyong's body jerked and he let out a loud cry. Jaehyun got a bit confused if he had done the right thing, but seeing as the man had grabbed the sheets more tightly, he assumed that was pleasure. Jaehyun rhythmically pushed the finger back and forth inside the hole, making the man in front of him cry even more loudly. His tongue was still busy licking in and around the whole as he felt Taeyong begin to move his body to the rhythm he had created. 

"Another one." Taeyong pleaded in a raspy voice. 

He looked at his hand once again and inserted the second finger, making the pale body in front of him jerk even higher and convulse a couple of times. A wave of excitement washed over Jaehyun, making him feel anxious as to what could come next. Taeyong tensed against his fingers, making Jaehyun accelerate his rhythm to match the bubbly feeling inside of him as he opened and closed them inside Taeyong. Was this pleasure? He was unsure as to what it was, but he wanted to feel every single drop of it. The movement was far more intense than it had been before and he wanted to make Taeyong moan even louder as if he was competing with someone else. Oh, yes. Jaehyun knew exactly who he was competing against and he wanted him to hear it. Petty as it may seem, wanted to be crowned the winner, especially in this...aspect. 

Jaehyun was far too excited for his own good, but the throbbing sensation in his penis had become bothersome. He raised his head and pulled out his fingers. It took Taeyong a few seconds to realize Jaehyun had stopped moving and was now staring at the youngster. Jaehyun grinned and then adjusted himself once more between Taeyong's thighs, pulling him closer and spreading his legs wide. The other man tilted his head while trying to steady his breathing. 

"Don't be hasty." He offered a smile. 

"I'm not." Jaehyun hissed, bothered by the comment. "I'm ready." 

"Do you want me to explain it to you?" Taeyong was being sarcastic.

"Will you just be quiet?" 

Taeyong laughed and then sealed his lips, maintaining a sly smile. Jaehyun rolled his eyes and then looked down at where he knew he should focus his attention. His penis was hard and Taeyong's hole was glistening in the dim light. Jaehyun steadied himself and leaned forward, gently holding his cock and then proceeding to insert it in Taeyong. The other man let out a moan with his face buried in the pillow beside him, biting it afterward. The sight made Jaehyun burn with desire. Seeing Taeyong like that, with his red cheeks and sweaty body made everything so much more intense. 

"Do you like it?" He said without really giving it much thought. 

"Yes," Taeyong answered while panting. 

"Do you _want_ it?" 

"Yes!" Taeyong bit his lower lip in a way that made Jaehyun go insane. He growled at the sight and pulled on the other man with even more strength. 

Jaehyun wanted to own every single inch of skin that man had, be the master of it. He could do it, say and do whatever he wanted. The only reason he was unable to do it before, was because Taeyong would put up barriers preventing him from entering. But at this moment things were different. Taeyong couldn’t focus on what they were doing _and_ maintain such barriers. Jaehyun grinned once more. It was thrilling to see a man so untouchable, become so fragile, and in the end that sole thought was what thrilled him the most. The fact Taeyong was so _naked_ in front of him. He thrust hard inside the other man, moaning together with him. It was indeed good. 

The bed shook with every thrust Jaehyun gave, moving alongside the two men. The room appeared to be shaking and the lights flickered from time to time. That was power, the thing this side of Jaehyun was always interested in. He thrust once again, crying out as he did so. Taeyong's body shook in response. Jaehyun grabbed Taeyong's thigh with even more strength and pushed them upwards, making the man spread even wider and making it possible for him to lean closer. As he continued to thrust hard into the other man, he lowered himself to mere inches from Taeyong's mouth. Jaehyun looked deep into his eyes, who stared at him right back. The two sharing more than just a rhythm. Jaehyun felt sucked into some sort of weird vortex that he could not get away from, nor did he want to.

Everything felt as if it was spinning while the lights flickered a bit more intensely this time. Jaehyun did not stop for a second, but there was a burning sensation inside of him that he knew meant he was close to coming. Jaehyun closed his eyes for a second, trying to regain his focus, but as he opened his eyes he was greeted with a familiar sight. A faint crimson glow that he had seen before in those same eyes. Jaehyun thrust even deeper, seeing the intensity of the glow grow stronger. He wanted those eyes and everything that came with it, the man and the power. Taeyong cried out again, this time jerking his body up slightly, not far from coming either and Jaehyun got even more aroused. 

He got even closer as his lips brushed Taeyongs, grunting with every thrust. As he got closer to his orgasm, Jaehyun pried Taeyong's mouth open with his tongue, gnawing the other man's bottom lip with anger while growling. Jaehyun released inside of Taeyong, as the other man cried out from his orgasm. The pale body jerking upwards and then convulsing. Jaehyun did not release Taeyong's bottom lip immediately, softening the grip from his teeth and licking the now swollen lip. Both men were panting, as sweat dripped from Jaehyun's body and onto Taeyong. 

"Well," Taeyong exhaled. "That was interesting." 

Jaehyun remained silent as he removed his cock from inside the other man and got up from the bed. He walked up to the bathroom and wet one of the towels by the sink, bringing it back to the bed to clean up the mess. Jaehyun silently cleaned Taeyong's stomach and then cleaned his hole that was dripping with semen. After disposing of the towel in the bathroom, he went back to bed and sat on the edge of it, staring at Taeyong. 

"Do you want to have an awkward deep after sex conversation?" Taeyong laughed. 

"I killed someone and still you wanted to have sex." Jaehyun arched his brow. "That says a lot about you." 

"This house is built on blood." Taeyong adjusted himself, pulling the covers to him. "Death is acceptable within these walls." 

"You sadist." 

"You expected me to be a saint?" Taeyong grinned. "We are very far from that, Jaehyun." 

Jaehyun merely sighed. 

Taeyong laughed once again and then adjusted his pillow, turning to the side and covering himself completely. Jaehyun was a bit unsure of what he was expected to do since no one had ever slept in his bed. He sighed once again and then crawled to his side of the bed, not bothering to touch the man beside him. There was no need for affection between the two after all that, it would not happen again. 

  
  


"Wake up." A deep voice sounded in the room. 

Jaehyun slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head, stretching his arms in the process. He looked to the side, and Taeyong was nowhere to be seen, Jaehyun then looked in the direction of the edge of the bed and Yuta was standing with arms crossed in front of his chest and a creepy smile on his lips. He yawned and then sat on the bed, remembering he had gone to sleep naked, so he could not just take off the covers and stand. Jaehyun sat and stared back at Yuta, unamused. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Did you have a good night?" Yuta grinned. 

Jaehyun did not dignify him with an answer.

"You are going to help me clean up the mess you made." Yuta continued to smile creepily. 

The room was relatively gloomy apart from the narrow beams of light creeping through the gaping door. Jaehyun was unsure of what time it was or even when Taeyong left, but he was now having to deal with an annoying Yuta standing in the middle of his room. He knew far well what the other man meant by mess, but Jaehyun did not know how the two would clean it up. Or even if it was only the two of them, but he knew he would soon get extremely annoyed. 

After a long and silent ride, Jaehyun was back at the place he had been the night before. The familiar sight was incredibly unusual in the daylight. The street that was once abandoned and empty, was now bustling with life. People roamed around and the stores were all open and running. Jaehyun took a look around before following Yuta to one of the stores. Both men walked into what seemed an ordinary antique shop and made their way straight to the back, ignoring the few customers that were inside. A couple of men accompanied behind in silence, staring at Jaehyun with hostile eyes every time he turned to face the odd duo. 

"Take a seat." A familiar voice told them. 

Yuta and Jaehyun sat on the chairs in front of a rundown wooden table that had certainly seen better days, in fact, that whole room looked as if it would collapse soon. Jaehyun clicked his tongue. 

"Ji Ah-ssi." Yuta bowed.

"Dong Young-ssi?" She asked in a soft tone, but her face was dark. 

"Busy," Yuta answered dryly. 

"I expect him later today." 

"I'll pass on your message," Yuta said with a hint of annoyance in his tone, which Jaehyun found amusing. 

She then turned to face Jaehyun with a very intense glare. He did not feel uncomfortable in the slightest, but it was interesting to see just how much she was holding back. Jaehyun could feel the air growing thicker by the minute, for that reason Jaehyun decided to remain silent, as much as he wanted to say something extremely sarcastic. 

"The new kid." She suddenly smiled. "You have something that belongs to me." 

"I do?" Jaehyun was truly confused.

"You don't have a hint of remorse." She sighed and then lit up a cigarette. "Interesting." 

Jaehyun remained silent. 

"Care to explain what happened?" She puffed on the cigarette looking unamused. 

"Jaehyun was attacked." Yuta tapped on the arm of his chair, the bloody smile on his cheek peeking through the loose strands of hair. "He merely defended himself." 

"Is that the story you are going to tell?" 

"Two witnesses can attest to that." Yuta tilted his head. 

"I see." She grinned. 

"You don't care about that man." Jaehyun finally spoke. 

"Jaehyun!" Yuta hissed. 

"I don't?" She put the cigarette on the ashtray and leaned closer.

"You want to know what I saw." He tilted his head twice, cracking his neck in the process. "Otherwise your people would have just buried it, and no one would ever come asking about it. It would be just another annoying cult member that died. No one cares about that unless someone _is_ asking about it." 

The woman did not answer this time, but there was a hint of something on her expression. Annoyance? Determination? Jaehyun could not pinpoint it. 

"If it was some low member of a small family, we wouldn't be here, would we?" Jaehyun leaned closer. "But when someone from a very big and important family asks, you can't really say no can you?" 

"Are you implying I am favoring families and providing them with privileged information?" 

"I am not questioning your motives." Jaehyun laughed and dismissively waved his hand. "I am just telling you that if they want that information, they can ask me personally." 

Yuta put a hand over his mouth, covering a faint laugh. The woman now showed her annoyance. Jaehyun had just confronted and exposed her in front of Yuta and her minions, knowing full well she did not look like a person that accepted that sort of treatment. But he did it on purpose. She would relay the information with the needed annoyance for the person to go to him as soon as possible. Jaehyun already knew who was asking, even though he did not know his reasons. The first step would be exposing the person. Now that he and Taeyong had formed some bizarre alliance to remain alive, he would use the other man as a way to get his answers. Jungwoo suddenly came to mind. 

_No one can say no to Jungwoo._

"I think we are done here." Jaehyun stood up offering a smile to the woman. "It was a pleasure." 

"Let's meet again." Her smile was incredibly fake. "Soon." 

"I rather we didn't." Jaehyun followed Yuta out of the backroom but stopped before exiting. "And please relay my message to Minseok-ssi as soon as possible." 

Both men headed out of the store and back into the car. Yuta stared at the steering wheel for a few seconds before turning to face Jaehyun with a serious demeanor. He had been amused, but that was gone. Yuta was not scared either, but he was far from happy with what had transpired in that room. 

"You made an enemy." Yuta licked his lips and sighed. "A big one." 

Jaehyun stared back at him for a second before beginning to laugh, Yuta looked confused. 

"I did." He rubbed his eyes to dry the tears. "But someone can only be your enemy if they are alive." 

Yuta said nothing as he turned on the car and pulled back into the busy streets. 

  
  


The office door was unusually open, so Jaehyun entered it with caution, only to find Doyoung and Taeyong standing very close to one another. The moment he stepped in, both men turned to face him but with very different expressions on their pale faces. Jaehyun grinned. Taeyong was certainly playing his part, and Doyoung was being his usual self, annoyed and angry. His cheek was now covered with a white bandage to cover up the large gash he had gotten the night before. 

"Am I interrupting?" Jaehyun took a seat. 

Taeyong moved away from Doyoung and took a seat opposite Jaehyun, smiling at him. Doyoung turned to face both men and then sat on the edge of the desk. He was far from amused and even looked completely enraged, things got even worse when Taeyong purposely continued to smile at Jaehyun while pouring tea to him. Doyoung was on the verge of committing a murder, and Jaehyun knew far too well who would be the victim. 

"How is Ji Ah-ssi?" Taeyong asked as he filled the third cup with tea, clearly inviting Doyoung to join them. 

"She asked Doyoung to come to visit her later." Jaehyun turned to face the other man with a smile. 

"Is that so? Taeyong sipped on the tea and took a long look over at Doyoung. 

"Why are you here?" Doyoung bluntly asked. 

"Why?" Jaehyun laughed. "Can't I join the party?" 

"You are pushing your luck," Doyoung warned. "Don't confuse me for one of your pathetic friends." 

"You should have learned by now that I don't enjoy your empty threats." 

Doyoung arched his brow and took a deep breath, probably to stop him from actually committing murder. His gaze changed from Jaehyun to Taeyong and then he smiled, making Jaehyun annoyed for the first time in a while. For some reason, he did not want that man to smile, not like that. 

"If you're so annoyed," Jaehyun turned around and picked up his cup, taking a long sip while staring at Taeyong. "You can leave, you know?" 

"Always acting like children." Taeyong tried lightening the mood. "Can you two stop bickering so we can focus on what is indeed important?" 

"Like?" 

"Rumours." Doyoung was the one to answer. 

"And let me guess," Jaehyun clapped. "It's all about us." 

"Word has spread that we have aided cult members and that we are involved in the recent attacks." Taeyong sighed. "It's not looking good." 

"But those are good news." Jaehyun laughed and then stood up abruptly. "This gives us the excuse we wanted to kill all of them!" 

As soon as the words left his lips, Jaehyun felt a burning sensation behind his back. He then turned to face Doyoung who had a black and opaque miasma around him, his hands curled into fists. Murder was now an option. Doyoung acted quickly and in a split second, he grabbed Jaehyun by his collar and shoved him against the door. Jaehyun growled in pain. 

"YOU ANNOYING THING!" Doyoung was screaming at the top of his lungs, seeing blood. "I WARNED YOU SO MANY TIMES! I WILL KILL YOU BEFORE YOU PUT EVERYONE IN DANGER!" 

Jaehyun groggily laughed. His head was still spinning a bit, and he was trying hard to ignore the pain on the back of his head. The laughter annoyed Doyoung even more, making him shove Jaehyun once again against the hard door. This time he felt the blood drip from the wound and the metallic taste. 

"Are you blaming me?" Jaehyun fought the urge to close his eyes. "Because of _your_ incompetence?" 

Doyoung pulled on Jaehyun's collar again, lifting him slightly. 

"Because of you, everyone is going to die." Jaehyun spit out the blood that had been pooling in his mouth. "Unless _we_ kill them first." He gestured at Taeyong with his head. 

The elder man shoved Jaehyun against the door one more time and pinned him with his arm on his throat, choking him and glaring with fire in his eyes. 

"What?" Jaehyun's voice was hoarse. "Afraid he might choose me?" 

Doyoung's face was now as red as it could be, the strong smell of blood lingered in the air. Jaehyun finally lost the smile he had been holding that entire time, he was angry. Jaehyun stared at Doyoung, his eyes filled with killing intent. 

"Are you going to kill me as well?" Doyoung forced a laugh. 

Jaehyun looked at him for a second before bursting into hoarse laughter as Doyoung's arm was still pressed against his neck. The other man was at a loss. 

"Kill you?" He swallowed and then leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "If I kill you, I won't be able to see you in despair."


	17. XVII

Doyoung took two steps back with shock all over his face while Jaehyun sunk to the floor. He had a wicked smile on his lips, and he knew it, adding insult to injury. Doyoung was red with rage, and Taeyong still had not moved a muscle, making Jaehyun wonder if he ever would. The room was dark and silent, while the electricity in the air got more and more intense. Many thoughts crossed Jaehyun's mind as he glared at Doyoung, imagining just how much pain that man could endure. Jaehyun spit out a final mouthful of blood and stood up, ignoring the black spots in his sight. 

While the two men glared at each other, planning the other's death, Taeyong sat quietly in his chair, not bothering to say a word. Jaehyun was extremely annoyed since he thought the man would at least say something to make them stop or even intervene. When Taeyong did not do either of those things, a single thought crossed Jaehyun's mind. Taeyong was enjoying the attention. He was a very bizarre man that took pleasure in even more bizarre things but could be extremely simple sometimes. Taeyong enjoyed the fact two men were fighting for his attention, and being the sadist that he was, enjoyed it far more because there were blood and death involved. Jaehyun stared at Taeyong. 

"Hyung." There was a small knock on the door. "Can I come in?" 

Taeyong finally stood up and walked up to the door as Doyoung turned around to hide his face and Jaehyun cleaned the corners of his mouth. Jungwoo entered the room, looking very coy. Jaehyun assumed it was because he could feel the energy inside and was probably written all over his face. Jungwoo calmly walked to one of the chairs and took a seat while offering an awkward smile. He looked around the room, clearly feeling the tension but still said nothing and his smile did not waver. 

"What is it, Jungwoo?" Taeyong came back to his original spot, offering the untouched cup of tea to the other man. 

The room was quiet but sparks still flew around. Doyoung still had not turned around, supporting himself by the desk. Jaehyun suddenly felt a cold breath on his neck and turned quickly to find nothing behind him. His head was still throbbing, so he just ignored the weird feeling. Jaehyun focused back on Taeyong and Jungwoo, wobbly making his way to the two men. Jaehyun suddenly went still as he made eye contact with the mirror on the other side of the room. The dark smile and glowing eyes staring back at him and he was pulled back into the familiar darkness. 

When he opened his eyes, the beach was even colder than the first time. Jaehyun was confused as to how he had gone back to that place, memory. The sky was gloomy, and the wind blew in every direction. Jaehyun looked around only to find that same child he had seen before sitting in the sand staring into the horizon. He sat down beside it, staring intensely at the youngster. 

"You're back." The child smiled while maintaining his gaze over the ocean. 

Jaehyun stared at him not knowing what to answer back. The whole situation was far too complex to understand. How could a memory talk to him? How could Taeyong do any of this? Jaehyun continued to stare, unable to utter a single word. The child sighed a few times while continually fidgeting with its hands. Jaehyun extended his hand and put it over the child's small little fingers, covering it and stopping the fidgeting. Jaehyun would never admit he did that out of annoyance and not because he was truly worried, or that was what he wanted to believe. 

"What is this?" He eventually asked. "When is this?" 

"What or when doesn't matter." The child sighed once again. "What matters is that you were the one who showed up." 

"You were annoying even as a child." Jaehyun pulled his hand away feeling cold the moment he did so. "Just tell me." 

"There is only one reason why you are here." 

"Why?" Jaehyun stood up abruptly, angry at the evasive answers he got. "What am I doing in this place with you? What is all this?" 

"This is a safety measure." 

Jaehyun only stared, ignoring the wind that blew his hair everywhere and made the weather even colder. 

"Am I dead?" The child turned its head and looked up to Jaehyun. "Or has everything gone to hell?" 

"You are still breathing and annoying me." Jaehyun swallowed hard on the dryness that had formed in his throat. "But hell is not far." 

"Don't expect answers from me." The child laughed. "I'm just a warning."

"Warning?" 

"Yes." Taeyong looked down at his tiny hands while they slowly became specs of dust. "A bad one." 

The scene dissolved back into the office and Jaehyun was frozen in place while Jungwoo and Taeyong stared at him with a hint of concern on their faces. Jaehyun shook his head ignoring the intensity of his feelings, some of which were not entirely his. Jaehyun looked back at the mirror and the creature was gone. It was as everything had frozen while he was stuck in that weird memory if he could even call it that. Jaehyun wobbled to the chair and sat down, still not able to focus on anything. Taeyong and Jungwoo continued to stare at him, their worried looks growing more and more intense. 

"Is everything alright?" Jungwoo managed to ask. "Are you okay?" 

"I..." Jaehyun stuttered for the first time in his life. 

"Doyoung and Jaehyun had a misunderstanding, and Doyoung got a bit too aggressive." Taeyong laughed it off. "Jaehyun looks like he is still recovering." 

Jungwoo looked confused. 

"Don't worry." Taeyong picked up his cup and took a long sip, being theatrical as always. "Just tell us why you are here. Shouldn't you be resting?" 

"I needed to talk to you." Jungwoo rubbed his face, looking concerned.

Taeyong looked at him expectantly, while Doyoung turned around and Jaehyun stared at him, still fighting the urge to think back on that memory. Jungwoo was bothered and seemed anxious, alarming Jaehyun. He had never seen that man like that and as far as he knew, Jungwoo was as confident as one could be. To a point where it was annoying. Jaehyun thought back on the day Jungwoo, and Kun were attacked. Jungwoo had gone into the room unaware of what was happening, and the attacker targeted him to get rid of any witnesses, but Jaehyun did not understand how he managed to stay alive. Kun was the original target, and he was still in a coma, but Jungwoo was already awake and talking. 

"I had to focus a lot to remember most of my life." He coughed, apparently still weak from the whole ordeal. "Everything came back." 

"Something is missing." Doyoung walked closer to the other men.

"Exactly, _hyung!_ " He was a bit too excited. "I tried to find out what it was, but there was only one thing. A tree in the middle of a vast field and there is a house near, but whenever I tried looking at it, it vanished." 

Doyoung's house. 

"My house," Doyoung said with darkness in his tone. "The dead tree." 

The other two men looked up at Doyoung, while Jaehyun stared ahead, lost in his thoughts. He knew the house had something to it, but now things had taken a complicated turn. Someone wanted Jungwoo to forget about that house and went to the trouble of erasing his memory. Wouldn't it have been easier to kill him? Unless they didn't want that. The house was the answer to their questions, and they used Jungwoo to lure them there. Whoever was behind the attack, wanted them to go to that house and unearth whatever it was that was buried deep within. 

"It's a trap." Jaehyun ended up speaking loud and clear what was inside his mind. 

"Yes." Taeyong suddenly agreed. "But for whom?" 

Silence invaded the room as no one dared to say the obvious. The trap was clearly for the biggest prize, and that would be Taeyong. The three others were merely collaterals since it was obvious that all the men in that room were now part of the plan. Taeyong took another sip of his tea before sighing loudly. He had a lot on his mind, and anyone could see that. Jaehyun suddenly felt bad for the man, even though he did not know why. Taeyong stood up, walking up to Doyoung and standing rather close to the other man. Taeyong lifted his pale and slim fingers and pinched the other man's cheek before smiling at him with some sort of fondness that annoyed Jaehyun to his core. 

"We have a guest." He said as he made his way out of the office. "It would be rude to keep him waiting."

Minseok was sitting in one of the couches in the living room, looking rather too pleased with himself. Jaehyun hated the smug smile he always had on his lips, acting as if he knew more than anyone else. Yes, Minseok could see the future and such, but that didn't mean he was better than anyone else. Jaehyun knew he was only someone who wielded power and did it very well, but he didn't have the power he had. Minseok was either someone you adored as a god or feared, but none of those options was good enough for Jaehyun. 

"Minseok-ssi." Taeyong and the others bowed politely, while Jaehyun only glared at the man. "What a pleasant surprise." 

"I was told I had to come as quickly as possible." He laughed. "So I did as told." 

"I'm afraid I am confused." Taeyong tilted his head acting as if he didn't know why the other man was there. "I never sent any message for you to come." 

"I did." Jaehyun interrupted, ignoring the annoying act. "I told Ji Ah-ssi that if he wanted, he should come here." 

"And so I did." Minseok laughed. 

Everyone was now staring at Jaehyun, looking at him as if he was some sort of bizarre creature that had the power to summon someone like Minseok. He could not lie and say he was not pleased with himself; he was. Jaehyun took a seat opposite Minseok and looked at him with a smile, still feeling a bit light-headed. The other man crossed his legs and stared back, not thinking for even a second that Jaehyun was about to do what he had planned to. Not even Jaehyun knew if it would work with someone with Minseok's power, but he had to try. Jaehyun closed his eyes for a second and relaxed, seeing glimpses of his other self sitting in the darkness. It nodded, agreeing with whatever was coming next. 

The blue eyes were something only a few people had seen, but Jaehyun still liked seeing the shock in their faces whenever they were faced with a pair of blue glowing eyes. Minseok's face indicated he was uncomfortable but not afraid. He would not show that so easily. So the elder man just leaned back trying to distance himself from Jaehyun. The room went completely dark and people gasped in the darkness, unsure of what was happening. This was the true power and Jaehyun loved it. The thrill he got from making people afraid of him. He remembers back to his childhood when he read an old book and was faced with a sentence he had grown fond of. His other side would never agree to it, but Jaehyun would always think back on it. 

_ The measure of a man is what he does with power. _

Jaehyun opened his eyes once again, exiting the darkness. To his surprise, Jungwoo and Doyoung were passed out on the ground while Taeyong stared back at Jaehyun with an unamused face. Minseok's eyes were now of a milky and opaque tone and he was sitting still. Jaehyun smiled, feeling something drip down from his nose. The smile faded as soon as he saw his finger covered in blood. Jaehyun was powerful, but there was a cost to using his abilities to this extent and he would soon be completely drained. Jaehyun shook his head to try to focus and looked over at Taeyong. 

"Wake the two up." Jaehyun sank in his seat. "I'll focus on him." 

Taeyong said nothing as he looked over at Doyoung and Jungwoo, waking the two men from their sleep. Doyoung was the first to wake up but was unhappy about the fact he had been targeted by Jaehyun's power. Jungwoo woke up soon after and was extremely agitated and confused. After Taeyong explained to them what was going on, Doyoung made his way to the elevator, locking the door. Jungwoo took a seat by Minseok, looking restless. 

"You." Jaehyun mustered all his remaining strength to talk. "Look into his head." 

"But..." Jungwoo's eyes darted back and forth from the man to Jaehyun. "He needs to be sleeping." 

"He is in a similar state," Taeyong explained. "But we don't have much time." 

Jungwoo nodded and then closed his eyes a bit too hesitantly. He put his hand over Minseok's and then drew a long and loud breath. Jaehyun could feel that the other man's mind was being somewhat meddled with, but he couldn't lose his focus. If Minseok woke up in the middle of it all, Jaehyun could suffer a severe lash and Jungwoo could get stuck inside the man's mind. Taeyong and Jaehyun would exchange a look from time to time, but it was not one that said anything other than this whole thing was a bad idea. Jaehyun knew he had done something extremely grave, but he was not backing away. They needed answers. 

"Tell him to come back." Jaehyun maintained a serious face even though there was a sharp pain inside his head. "It's enough." 

Taeyong nodded and then tapped lightly on Jungwoo's shoulder, who got extremely startled. He looked over at Jaehyun and then wiped the sweat from his forehead. Doyoung arrived a few seconds later. They were all back to their original positions when Minseok opened his eyes, looking lost. His eyes went first to Taeyong and then over at Jaehyun who was busy blowing his nose into a napkin. 

"You..." Minseok stopped mid-sentence and leaned over, his pale lips making him look as if he was sick. "What...did..." 

"Are you feeling okay, Minseok-ssi?" Taeyong had a worried look on his face. "You look a bit too pale." 

Minseok, for some reason, looked scared. Jaehyun was unsure of what Jungwoo had done, but it was far too strange for a man like that to look scared as he did. It was almost childlike. The wide eyes, unable to focus, the pale and parted lips indicated he was indeed shocked. 

"You wanted to know what I saw." Jaehyun forced a smile. 

Minseok merely lifted his gaze. 

"There was only one thing." He tried to look confused. "A meeting in a dark room filled with humans." 

"A cult meeting?" Taeyong maintained his act. "In their headquarters?" 

"What about it?" Minseok's breathing was hitched. 

"They were talking about how their plan was working." 

"Plan?" Doyoung was also acting confused. "Are they behind the attacks?"

"That was all I saw." Jaehyun sank even further into the chair, indicating he had reached his limit. 

"Well, Minseok-ssi, is there anything else?" Taeyong intervened.

"No." He got up at once. "But I will be back." 

"Please do." 

Doyoung escorted the man out, while Jaehyun dropped to the floor, his nose bleeding again. Jungwoo kneeled beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. Jaehyun knew what the other man was doing, but knew Jungwoo could not risk himself because of him. He removed the other man's hand from him and began to stand up. Taeyong came to his side and helped Jaehyun back to his seat, sitting beside him. Jaehyun thought Taeyong was a bit too close but had no strength to argue, so he just closed his eyes. 

The darkness was back, and Jaehyun could see his other side standing in the spotlight in the middle of the room. He looked anxious and his eyes grew wide the moment he saw his other half approaching. The other man rushed to his side and helped him to the ground, steading him as Jaehyun took a seat. He sighed loudly and then put his hand over his other half, forcing out a smile and ignoring the excruciating pain he was feeling. 

"Are you okay?" He asked with his soft voice. "Are we okay?" 

"We are." Jaehyun smiled again. "But I don't know for how long." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You saw that memory or whatever that was." Jaehyun coughed up a bit of blood and spit it out. He stared at the small pool of blood. "That means something is coming for us." 

"And what are you going to do?" He sounded extremely anxious. 

Jaehyun lifted his hand and patted his other half on the head as if he was reassuring a child. 

"We are going to survive." He laughed a bit hoarsely. "You are going to help us." 

"How?" 

"You saw what we can do." Jaehyun finally gave up and laid on the ground. "You have to focus." 

"And what if..." 

"You won't." Jaehyun interrupted him. "Just focus. I'll be here, okay?" 

"Okay." His voice trembled. 

"Just stay away from mirrors until we have that sorted out." 

Jaehyun gasped for air as he jerked up from the couch. He looked around confused, finding Jungwoo sitting on a chair beside him. The other man was staring at him with wide eyes and an expectant gaze. Jaehyun was back to being the one in charge, while his other half rested. He knew he could not let people know he was back to his not so powerful and witty self, so he just remained quiet. His other half was quiet, but Jaehyun could feel as if he was nodding inside. That feeling felt reassuring, as he could feel he was doing the right thing. Jaehyun stood up a bit too quickly, losing his balance for a second before steadying himself again. 

"Are you all right?" Jungwoo asked, standing up as well. "Are you feeling better?" 

"How long was I out?" 

"A few hours." Jungwoo scratched his head. "Why?" 

"What did you see?" He asked, getting the same reassuring feeling from before. "I need to know what you saw inside Minseok's head." 

"We should talk to Taeyong..."

"Tell me!" Jaehyun demanded while interrupting Jungwoo. 

"He met someone many times." Jungwoo looked away, making Jaehyun suspicious. "But I could not see its face. It was like it was meant to stay hidden." 

"Yeonghon," Jaehyun whispered to himself. 

"What?" Jungwoo tilted his head in confusion. 

"Nothing." Jaehyun shook his head. "Where are Taeyong and Doyoung?" 

"Probably at the office." Jungwoo pointed at the door. "Why? What is going on?" 

"Let's go." 

Jaehyun stormed out of the room while Jungwoo followed behind. Both men quickly made their way back to the office and found Taeyong, Doyoung, and Yuta sitting inside. The three men looked a bit shocked to see Jaehyun, but in the end, said nothing. He and Jungwoo entered the room, and he closed the door behind them, turning the key to lock it. When he turned back, everyone had a confused look on their faces and looked ready to fight him. Jaehyun wanted to laugh but decided it was not a good idea, especially because those weren't his feelings. 

"From now on, everyone in this room is a part of this." Jaehyun prayed his other side would not scream in his ears, but apparently, everything was okay. "And no one else can know about any of this." 

"What are you going on about?" Doyoung was impatient. 

"There is someone behind all this." Jaehyun sighed. "And he is extremely dangerous and powerful." 

"If there was someone more powerful than the people in this room, we would know." Yuta laughed. "Jungwoo would know." 

"Not if he is a ghost." Jaehyun looked over at Taeyong, expecting him to confirm it. But in the end, he said nothing, while his head grunted. He probably did not enjoy Jaehyun's approach, but he would just have to be patient. "Not if he has any face he wants, including ours." 

"What are you saying?" Jungwoo was confused. 

"A man has come to me a few times." Jaehyun began to pace around. "He knows everything and everyone, and can take up any face he wants." 

There was silence as everyone paid attention. 

"In that meeting, he had my face." Another grunt indicated he was not doing very well. "But could have used any of your faces, for whatever reason he liked." 

"Taeyong?" Yuta looked over at the other man. 

"That would explain the rumors about our family." Doyoung scratched his chin. "Explain why they believe we are involved in that mess." 

"He is whom Minseok met, right?" Jungwoo blurted out. 

"Yes." Jaehyun nodded. "I think so." 

"So Minseok and his family are working with him?" Yuta sounded angry. "Those..." 

"We don't know for certain if they are all involved." Doyoung interrupted. "But we know Minseok and Ji Ah are involved somehow. And we know one of our own is helping those annoying cults." 

"We need to uncover information," Jaehyun added. "Yuta and Jungwoo could do that." 

"Yes!" Jungwoo was excited. 

"I and Doyoung will go to his house." Jaehyun continued. "There is something there."

Doyoung raised his brow.

"And Taeyong?" 

"I'm going to stay here and take care of everyone." Taeyong walked over to his desk, looking lost in his thoughts. "We can't raise suspicions." 

Yuta suddenly stood up and bowed. Jungwoo understood what that meant and bowed as well. The two men quickly unlocked the door and exited the office leaving Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Doyoung behind. There was an awkward silence, but it was suddenly broken by Taeyong's loud sigh. He lowered his head and put both his hands on the table, tapping his fingers lightly. He was annoyed. 

"You two go on." He ordered. "There is something I have to do." Taeyong opened the top drawer on his left and pulled out a black folder. "Alone." 

Jaehyun wanted to ask about it but found he would be meddling in things he did not know about, so just remained silent. Doyoung sighed and headed for the door, sparing Jaehyun a glance before stopping by the threshold. Jaehyun took one look back with a face that meant he was obstinate in finding the answers he needed. Jaehyun swallowed back the lump that had formed in his throat and joined the other man by the door. He took one last look at Taeyong and then exited quickly, feeling as if something bad would soon happen. He hated that feeling. 

The night was silent and the road was dark. Jaehyun stared out the window, while Doyoung was focused on his driving. It didn't take long for them to arrive back at his house, but maybe Jaehyun was just too anxious to realize a long time had passed. The night engulfed the house, and the lone tree was nowhere to be seen, even though he knew it was sitting alone in the middle of the garden. Doyoung entered the house immediately and passed through the living room, which was now being renovated. Jaehyun swallowed the anxiety and followed Doyoung to the back of the house. They entered a red room that smelled like it had not been open for a long time. The strong smell entered his lungs and made him cough slightly, grabbing Doyoung's attention. 

"I don't trust you. I will never trust you, and I will kill you if you try anything."His eyes were dark."Do you understand?" 

Jaehyun thought he should only nod in agreement, but realized he could not show any sort of weakness, especially when this side was susceptible to Doyoung's abilities. 

"I will kill you as well," Jaehyun answered, hearing clapping in the back of his mind. "Even if you don't do anything." 

The other man smiled as he walked up to a round table that was covered by a cloth. Doyoung pulled on the fabric, revealing a dark marble table. He sighed and then put both his hands on the table, looking over at Jaehyun. The youth understood and walked up to it, leaning and putting both his hands on the table as well. The hard material suddenly became liquid and sunk into itself, showing their reflections in a deep dark liquid. 

_ "Who dares summon me?" _ A deep voice called from within the liquid. 

"A son. An heir. A trustworthy self."Doyoung answered, eyes closed." The one who requires power." 

_ "And who vouches for you?" _

Doyoung opened his eyes and looked over at Jaehyun, who was a bit startled by the gaze. Doyoung's eyes were deep black with no white in them anymore. 

"The purest blood," Doyoung whispered to the other man. 

"The purest blood," Jaehyun repeated. 

_ "You lie." _

"I need ten drops of your blood," Doyoung whispered again, looking over at the small knife that was sitting on the side of the table. "Now." 

Jaehyun obeyed and made a small slit on the palm of his hand, dropping exactly ten drops of blood within the liquid. It suddenly began to turn and formed a small whirlpool before becoming still again. 

_ "At last." _ The voice laughed darkly.  _ "What do you desire?" _

"Show me the past, the present, and the future. Allow me to see, to feel, and suffer. Take what you wish and grant me the possibility of the skies." 

_ "You are unworthy." _

Doyoung gasped, opening his eyes in utter shock. 

"Show me the past, the present, and the future. Allow me to see, to feel, and suffer. Take what you wish and grant me the possibility of the skies." Jaehyun repeated the same sentence, this time being met with only his reflection in the liquid as he stared down at it. 

"Jaehyun, take your hands off the table now!" Doyoung ordered. 

The young man ignored the order and fought back against Doyoung's abilities. He maintained his hands on the table, focused on the dark liquid that was now bubbling as if it was boiling. 

_ "Look deep within and find what you seek, pure one." _

Jaehyun was back at a sight he never wished to see again, standing on top of a pile of corpses while blue and red flames engulfed the city. There was no Taeyong this time and was all alone amidst the chaos. This time he was not going to stay frozen in place as he saw everything and everyone being consumed by the flames. Jaehyun darted down the pile of bodies, reaching the blood-drenched ground in a few steps. There was still no one around. As he looked around, saw a tall and opaque dark shadow lurking in a corner. Blue eyes and fangs ready to attack. Jaehyun knew what it was, but decided to ignore it for now. 

The city was empty and with every step he took, would splash blood everywhere, staining his weirdly white clothes. In the distance, he saw a cloaked figure standing with its back to him. The same figure Jaehyun had seen when he freed the human. The one who called him "son". Jaehyun ran to it as fast as he could, reaching its side in a few strides. The figure turned its head, but its face was obscured by the shadow of the dark cloak. 

"Son." It said with a hoarse voice. 

He thought about it for a second, before concluding. This side was extremely sensitive to it's past, so it would be easy for someone to make him weary by uttering the words he longed for the most. This was not his mother or father. It was something else, someone else. 

"I'm not your son." Jaehyun hissed. "You are nothing of mine." 

The dark cloak fell to the ground, exposing a familiar face. Yeonghon. The one and only, and the person he knew it was behind the whole chaos. It smiled at him and then licked its lips with a dark snake-like tongue. 

"Oops," Yeonghon said with a smile. "You caught me." He lifted both his hands, acting as if been caught. 

Jaehyun stared at the other man, considering his next words. 

"Beautiful isn't it?" Yeonghon looked around with a smile on his lips.

"It is." Jaehyun hid his trembling hand behind his back. 

"Liar" He licked his lips once again and then looked over at Jaehyun. 

"Is it over?" 

"It's never over." He pulled Jaehyun's hand, holding it tightly. "Not if they aren't all dead."

"Is there someone else we need to kill?" 

"We?" Yeonghon leaned closer, whispering. "Are we together?" 

"Be alone if you want to." Jaehyun pulled his hand back, massaging it. 

"Don't feel too offended, sweetheart." 

"So who do I have to kill?" Jaehyun smiled, trying to maintain his calm. "Taeyong?" 

"Watch it." Yeonghon turned around, facing the burning chaos ahead of him. "He is mine." 

"So this is revenge." Jaehyun laughed. "Pure and simple, and pathetic, revenge." 

"Are you sure you want to say it like that?" Yeonghon did not bother turning. "You're on my list as well." 

"So kill me first." Jaehyun offered. "I'd love to see you try." 

Yeonghon turned to face him, snake-like tongue sticking out and a knife in his hand, which he quickly put against Jaehyun's neck. There was a sting, and he knew it had drawn blood. The droplets slowly made their way down and stained the fabric of his shirt, making it evenly red. Yeonghon was unpredictable and at this point, he had the advantage. Jaehyun had to make sure he teased Yeonghon just enough for him to spill something to him, but if he said something wrong it could quickly cost him his life. That was as if that whole scenario was even real. 

"I will." Yeonghon leaned closer. "Eventually." 

The other man played with the knife along his neck and even went ahead and licked the blood of Jaehyun's neck, raising all the hairs in his body. This was on another level of bizarre and he could not want anything other than to leave that place as soon as possible. 

"And when I do, I will make sure he watches." 

"You want him." Jaehyun suddenly had an idea. 

Yeonghon pulled back and stared at him. 

"Killing him is just too simple, isn't it?" Jaehyun pinched the other man's chin, tilted its head back, and looked deep into his eyes. "Taeyong would thank you if you killed him, that's just how pathetic he is. But there is one thing that he fears most." 

Yeonghon smiled. 

"No power, no family, nothing." Jaehyun laughed. "Alone in the world." 

And there it was. The smile on Yeonghon's lips proved to Jaehyun that he had hit the gold mine. That man wanted one thing and one thing only, to strip Taeyong out of everything that made him who he was. Making the family weaker was only the first step in taking away his life. Without those things, he would no longer pose as a threat and would not be Lee Taeyong anymore. Jaehyun had a lump in his throat that would not go away any time soon, so he had to leave as soon as possible. Before the other man caught on. 

"Let me help you." Jaehyun offered. 

"Of course, sweetheart." Yeonghon broke loose from the grip and tilted his head. "Just show me where you are." 

"Not now." Jaehyun turned around to go back to where he had first appeared. "I will call you when the time comes." 

"I will be waiting." Yeonghon laughed. "And watching." 

Jaehyun slowly made his way back to the pile of dead bodies, trying hard not to throw up. He stopped by the base and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Doyoung was staring back at him. 

_ "To give is to take." _ The voice cackled.  _ "And for those who ask, I will take something in return." _

Jaehyun understood why Doyoung demanded he took his hands off the table. The other man was willing to lose something to gain what they needed, but Jaehyun did not know at the time and was unsure of what it would take from him. The table rumbled and the black liquid went up to the ceiling and then down, stopping in front of Jaehyun and morphing into something else. The dark liquid took the shape of a box, opening its lid. Jaehyun leaned closer and inside was a golden necklace with a round pendant. He extended his hand and took the necklace to himself. 

The box dissolved and the dark liquid went back into the table, becoming hard again. Doyoung took his hands off the table as well as Jaehyun. He was shaking. The necklace fell to the floor, and he collapsed soon after. It took a few seconds for Doyoung to come to his aid, kneeling beside him. 

"Why didn't you take your hands off!" He hissed. 

"What is this?" Jaehyun picked up the necklace again, shaking it in front of the other man's face. "And why do you have one?" 

"Because when Taeyong did the same thing you did, I was lucky enough to get one for me." 

"What does this do?" 

Doyoung laughed before taking a seat beside Jaehyun and pulling out his necklace. 

"You have to give it to someone you hold deep in your heart." Doyoung rubbed the round pendant and stared at it. "Want to know what it does?" 

Jaehyun merely nodded.

"It corrupts the soul." Doyoung laughed. "Destroys it bit by bit, turning the person into some dark and soulless creature that roams the night feeding off misery and despair. Forever connected to you." 

"Why did he give something like that to you?" Jaehyun stared at the necklace.

"He didn't." Doyoung stood up, sighing as he did. "I took it." 

"Why?" Jaehyun exclaimed. 

"To save someone else." Doyoung extended his hand to Jaehyun, helping him up. "Someone he loved." 

"And I have to do the same?" 

"Yes." Doyoung pinched the bridge of his nose. "And live with the guilt and suffering of it all." 

Jaehyun stared at the necklace again. 

"It's funny." 

"What is?" Jaehyun was confused and his head was spinning. 

"How I know he will wear that damn necklace." 

"Who?" Jaehyun took a step back, fearing the answer. 

"Taeyong." Doyoung had a smile on his lips, but Jaehyun could see something else. Something he had never seen before and was as frightening as knowing he would destroy someone's life. Doyoung was scared, and that image alone scared Jaehyun to his core.


End file.
